XKids: Adventures in Teenage Mutantdom
by Liapocalypse
Summary: A new generation of teenaged mutants comes to the Institute looking for a new home and family. This story is about the kids, their teachers, and their adventures along the way. Rated teen to mature for adult themes, language, and suggestive content. R&R!
1. XKids: Introductions

**I don't own any of Marvel's characters, and I am making no money off of them in any way shape or form, nor am I using any of them with permission. I own Dinah and the gang, but that's it. Marvel owns the rest.**

**Author's note: Okay, so this chapter is kinda slow because I'm introducing everyone, but it picks up after this, honest! Hope you like it!**

***** Dinah Arnette *****

"Why is there a Monday at the start of every week?" Dinah moaned as she smacked the snooze button on her alarm clock. Rolling out of bed, she padded down the narrow hall of the trailer where she lived with her two younger siblings and her mother, who hadn't gotten out of her bed at the back of the trailer in 4 years, not since the twins were born.

Turning on the radio for the news, she turned on the water in the shower, pausing to look in the mirror as she brushed her thick dark brown hair out of her face. Her wide grey eyes stared back at her out of her heart shaped face. Grimacing at the blackheads on her falcon-like nose, she ran a layer of lip balm over her plump pouty red lips before getting undressed and into the tiny shower stall, and turned on the hot water, scrubbing down she absentmindedly listened to the news report.

_"Another act of anti-mutant terrorism took lower Manhattan by storm yesterday when a group of anti-mutant activists known as the Friends of Humanity attacked the mutant group known as the X-men. They were on attending a conference on genetics for the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning located in Salem Center New York. Professor Charles Xavier made his press statement this morning. Can we get that clip Ted? . . . . . 'Greetings, I was saddened and disheartened by the anti-mutant activities put towards my students. I have always felt that pacifism was the best approach, that, while change takes time, it can be accomplished in the effort to get humans and mutants to work and live together in harmony. . ."_

"What a nice thought, it's good that mutants have such a strong man backing their community," She murmured while she made a desperate attempt to shave her legs, cursing when she got cut.

Five minutes later and she was out and attempting to dress herself in the tiny space, her ample hips knocking in the sink giving her more bruises to add to the previous days collection before going to haul her brother and sister up, badgering them into clothes for the day before kissing their mother goodbye and heading out to drop off her siblings at day care before walking to the general store where she worked with her best friend.

"Hey Cindy," she said, plunking herself down onto the the high stool behind the counter next to her friend.

"Hey Dinah, how's things at Casa de Arnette?" Cindy asked.

"Oh, same old, same old, Momma still hasn't moved. I'm getting worried, it's getting close to yet another D-day," Dinah replied.

"D-day?" Cindy asked, pulling out her compact to check her make-up.

"Yeah, it's the day Daddy left home after the twins were born," Dinah explained. "She gets real despondent every year around this time. And Mandy and Joey always know something's up, but not the details. They never knew Daddy."

"Well you practically raised your little brother and sister," Cindy said.

"You know what? There's nothing to be done about it. How's the Prince of Pigs?" Dinah asked.

"He's good, Michael Jackson will be nice and plump in plenty of time for the state fair," she said, glancing out the window at the cornfield that backed out trailer park.

"I still can't believe you named your pig after Michael Jackson," Dinah replied, running a coat of mascara onto her eyelashes.

"It's the little things," she said and they broke up into peels of laughter.

When work was finished and Dinah and her brother and sister were walking back through the trailer park to their house. Rounding the corner, they saw a black pick up truck and a man advancing on their trailer.

"NO!" Dinah screamed, running for the trailer. The man turned around.

"Dinah! Baby girl! Daddy's come home!" Said a man with dark chestnut hair and a mustache.

"No, you don't get to come back here after all this time! . . . Have you been drinking?" Dinah asked, disgusted.

"Sissy?" Amanda asked, tugging her shirt.

"Mandy, you and Joey go on to Grampy Wilshires, I'll come get you later," She said, pushing them away.

"But-" Mandy started.

"GO!" Dinah roared, sending her siblings running.

"You grew up into a right bitch Dinah, you know that?" Her father demanded, smacking her hard across the face, drawing blood.

"Yeah, and you grew up into a real woman hater!" She yelled right back, throwing her hands up into the air. "Where did you go? Momma hasn't left the trailer since you left, she can't even leave it anymore Daddy!"

Then she stopped and stared. Her father, his truck, and her families trailer along with the other surrounding trailers were floating three feet off the ground.

"You-You're a mutie, an effin' mutant scumbag!" He screamed at her. Freezing she stared from her father to the trailer, needing to get past him into the trailer, needed to get her clothes and money and then get away, as far away as possible.

Slowing lifting her hand, she pointed at her father and willed him to move, which he did, slowly until he stood, unable to get any traction to pursue her, then she jumped onto the front step and into the trailer. Quickly she threw her clothes into a duffle bag and grabbed her money and passport out of an old shoe box from under the bed. After penning a quick note apologizing to her mother, she fled, leaving her family behind, tears streaming down her cheeks as she ran away from the trailer park where she had grown up, away from her mother and siblings. Determined to get to the school in New York with the strong man.

*** * * Glenn Morgenstern * * ***

Covered in soot, Glenn leaned against his pitchfork as the elevator brought up him and the other men on his shift out of the black coal mines and into the evening sun. He shrugged off his friends and made his way home. A small cottage with a white picket fence just outside of town proper.

Pressing in through the front door, he smiled at his Aunt Mable as she looked down the hall from where she stood at the stove.

"Hey Auntie, how's Uncle Gabe doing today?" Glenn asked, kissing his aunt on the cheek.

"He's doing much better, another week and you'll be able to go back to your summer vacation Glenn. Why don't you go on up to see him?" Mable said, smiling up at her strong nephew.

"Uncle Gabe?" Glenn called as he made his way up the stairs, the old steps creaking under the weight of his muscle.

"Glenn, how're the mines today?" His uncle asked, putting down the magazine he was reading. He had been injured in a cave-in at the beginning of the summer.

"They were dark, but there weren't any mishaps today," Glenn said, sitting down on the stool next to the bed.

"That's good. Dr. Crothers came by today, says I'll be able to go back to work on Monday," Gabe said.

"That's what Aunt Mable said. I'm glad to hear you're doing so much better." Glenn said. "Well I'm gonna go wash off this grime. You don't how she gets when we show up dirty to the table."

"You go do that son," Gabe said, patting his nephew on the arm.

Sighing, Glenn walked up the stairs into the attic. There he filled the old bathtub and stripped down, doing his best to fit his massive 6'6" frame into the tub. He was twice the width of an average man, and all of him was muscle. He even had to bend down to see himself properly in the mirror. Studying his wide blue eyes under his brow, he stuck out his tongue and wriggled his nose. Someone had once said that he looked like Michaelangelo's Adam, but he didn't see the resemblance, despite being constantly told this. His stubble was getting longer, but now that he was in the mine, he didn't care so much about it anymore. Brushing his unruly blonde hair out of his eyes, he went and dressed in clean pants and a shirt and went down to help his uncle downstairs to the dining table.

"Wow, this roast is really good," Glenn said, shoveling down his dinner like it was nothing.

"You're a growing boy, and my men need their meat and potatoes," Mable beamed.

That night, as Gabe was getting ready for bed, he noticed two swollen lumps on his back next to his shoulder blades. They hurt when he flexed his shoulders, and that night he slept on his stomach.

The next morning, he brushed out his short black hair and pulled on his overalls and t-shirt. He pulled on his boots, and tried to ignore the pain in his back. Taking his helmet and his lunch, he walked back to work, taking the elevator down the shaft into the mines. He worked hard, using the pitchfork to crack apart the coal, then shoveled it into the trolley. He worked like his for hours, never faltering or stopping to rest like his colleagues. Occasionally he would stop for water, and then go back to work.

About an hour before quitting, then pain in his back got worse, and Glenn dropped the pitch fork and pitched forward onto his knees. Groaning, he tried to breath into the pain and came up coughing from all the coal dust.

"Hey Glenn, you okay buddy?" The foreman asked, patting his back. "Glenn, your back, there's something on your back under your shirt."

The foreman reached around Glenn's torso and unclipped his overalls, but before he could lift up Glenn's shirt, Glenn gave a scream, and two beautiful black glossy wings, like a bats, broke through his back, spraying blood and lymph.

"Glenn's a mutant! Glenn's a mutant!" His fellow teammates yelled, and started advancing on him.

Panicking, Glenn turned and started running, and then, almost on instinct, spread his great gossamer wings and took flight, flying up the mineshaft and out into the cool Ohio air. He flew down the street to his aunt and uncles. Seeing him from where she stood water her plants in the front yard, she turned and ran into the house ahead of him.

"Pack your bags Glenn!" She screamed as Glenn tore up the stairs and into his attic room. Throwing his clothes into his father's old army bag, he grabbed the only picture he had left of his parents and then turned and fled.

"Take the keys, and go, your cousin works in a school for mutants in New York, in Salem Center. Go, and call me when you get there. I love you Glenn. Your parents would have been proud of you. Now go!" Mable commanded, allowing only enough time for Glenn to hug and kiss her before climbing in behind the wheel and tearing out of town.

*** * *Jesse Augustus * * ***

Remy pulled up in front of the Killgare Hotel in his car. The hotel was in an upscale part of Chicago, and the sheer class of the place put made him smile. After finding a parking space, he made his way to the check-in desk and then went up to his room.

"Not my usual digs, but it'll do," Remy said, walking into the hotel room. There were dark hardwood floors, and plush oriental rugs. Monticello style windows lined the south wall, with heavy drapes tied off to the side. There were beautiful dark wood furniture pieces, a sofa, two chairs, a low coffee table and an impressive entertainment system. The bed itself was a massive kingsized canopy bed with an ornate duvet cover. You had to go up to steps to get to it, and through another door was the bathroom with a large shower stall and a deep sunken marble tub.

After he tipped the bellboy, he took his bags and put them in the bedroom before taking a shower and changing into jeans and a an old t-shirt. Making sure he looked more like a worker and less like a guest, he got ready to go and seek out who he was here to find.

Taking the elevator down to the first floor, he made his way into the utility halls of the hotel, avoiding service elevators and taking the stairs down, deeper into the hotel until he found himself following the trail of coal through long darkened hallways. The floors and walls were made of concrete. Remy found himself in an **L** shaped hallway. As he rounded the bend, he saw at the end of the long hall the kind of door that you would find on a ship, 'water-tight' Gambit's mind placed.

As he approached the door he heard the sound of shoveling going on. Placing a furred hand on the door, he pushed inwards and stepped into the boiler room.

There were enormous piles of coal everywhere, and 8 boilers in total, four on one side, four on the other. At the end of the room, Remy could make out a cot with some old bedding on it, and he tamped down hard on a surge of anger after experiencing the lushness of the hotel above.

The boy he found had stopped shoveling and was staring up at Remy. Remy in turn looked down at the kid. His skin was covered in heavy black scales, and around the edges glowed with the embers that lay beneath his skin. His eyes were black with slits for pupils, like a cats, but they glowed with the same fire that showed between his scales. The kid didn't have a drop of sweat on him, despite the overwhelming heat from the boilers.

"Can I help you sir?" The boy asked, his voice was raspy.

"You Jesse Augustus?" Remy asked, his ruby eyes glinting in the dim light.

"Y-yes, who are you?" Jesse asked nervously, his hand fidgeting on the handle of the shovel.

"My name is Remy LeBeau, Jesse. I'm from a school for mutants. I was sent here to get you, that is, if you want to come with me," Remy said carefully. He understood why the boy was in this boiler room, and he felt bitterly angry towards the boy's parents for sending him away like this.

"W-what kind of a school?" Jesse asked, and Remy had to suppress a smile at the boys wary interest.

"It's a school for children with gifts like yours. A place where you'll be respected and safe, you'll get a good education, and learn how to control your powers," Remy said quietly, leaning against the warm concrete wall.

"I like to read, my boss, for Christmas, he bought me a book of poetry. Will I be able to read at this school?" Jesse asked, and Remy's heart broke a little bit more.

"We have a whole library of books, you can read as many of them as you like," Remy said softly.

"My parents sold me to be a boiler man. They said it was because Tony, that's my little brother, kept dreaming my dreams," Jesse said, staring down at the coal.

"What did you dream about?" Remy asked, scarcely daring to breath.

"Fire," Jesse said. "I dream about fire."

"Always?" Remy asked softly.

"Every night," Jesse replied solemnly.

"Can you start fires? Is that your ability?" Remy asked, slowly circling around to the problem at hand.

"Yes, I can start them, I can control them," Jesse said slowly.

"Would you like to come with me back to the school?" Remy asked.

"Will you be there?" Jesse asked.

"I'm the gymnastics teacher there, you'll have that with me, and I live there with the rest of the teachers and students. What do you say?" Remy asked softly.

"When can we leave?" Jesse asked, digging his shovel into a mound of coal so that it stood up on it's own.

"As soon as you're ready," Remy replied.

*** * * Carlos Santiago * * ***

"Hey Carlos, come in here and take a look at this!" Carlos' sister Tina called to him. "Stupid mutantes, got attacked at some genetics conference down in financial district."

"Shut up Tina, they're just people like everyone else," Carlos said, mussing up her hair. "Now are you coming with me to the store? Or what?"

"Yeah yeah, I'm coming, lemme get my shoes," Tina said.

Waiting for his sister, he paused to study himself in the mirror. It wasn't something he did often, mostly because he didn't think of himself as particularly attractive. He had a smattering of freckles across his broad nose, his lips were big on his wide face, and he had slightly larger-than-normal brown eyes. His thick black hair was straight and never did what he wanted it too. He was shorter than most guys his age, and while he always joked with his friends that it just put him eye to eye with all the girls, he was, in fact pretty sensitive about it. Not that'd he'd ever admit to it.

"Ready?" Tina asked, walking back into the room, and together the pair left their apartment.

"So your fourteenth birthday is on Saturday, you wanna cake?" Carlos asked as they left their apartment building and stepped into the late August air.

"You know we can't afford that, you didn't have one at your 16th birthday," Tina pointed out.

"Yeah, but I'm a guy, cakes aren't masculine enough," he replied, striking a pose.

"Look at you, trying to be macho," she said, poking at her brothers arm.

Walking the 12 blocks through the Bronx, they waved to friends that they had grown up with their whole life. Stopping when they reached the super market.

"Dad's working the night shift again tonight, I thought we could make him pancakes tomorrow," Tina said as she pushed the cart down the aisle.

"It is Friday. . . I don't see why not," Carlos mused, putting pancake batter into the cart. "We'll need milk and eggs though."

"No problem, I'll go get them," Tina said, and bounded off down the aisle.

When they were heading back to their apartment building, they were stopped by gang of guys.

"Well lookie what we have here, a hot little thing and her brother," said one of the guys.

"Shut up Tito, we're just trying to get home," Carlos said.

"Oh ho, look at you trying to act tough in front of your sister," Tito sneered while the guys around him laughed.

"I mean it, shut up Tito," Carlos said, getting angrier and angrier.

"Carlos, stop it, they aren't worth it," Tina said, pulling at her brother with her free hand.

"Yeah little pansy, listen to your sister," Tito taunted, laughing.

Shoving the bags he was carrying into his sisters arms, he started stalking towards Tito, but when he stretched out his hands to push him back, instead a strong wind blew up, creating a miniature tornado, causing the group of them to fall backwards several feet before hitting the ground. Shocked, Tina was the first to move.

"Carlos! Run!" She yelled, shoving bags into his arms. Turning, they ran down the street, dodging in between cars and running until they collapsed in front of a tv repair shop 8 blocks away that was showing footage of the mutant attacks and Xavier's speech.

"That's it, you need to go there, to that school Carlos," Tina said, breathless.

"What? No, Tina, I can't leave you," he said.

"Carlos, you were always afraid of taking risks. Poppy and I will be fine. I can mail you your clothes, and you can always come and visit us. Here. Take this, I've been saving my money. It's 45 dollars and 37 cents, enough to get you to Salem Center. Call me when you get there Carlos. I love you," Tina said boldly, smiling at him, her brown eyes dancing.

"I-Tina," Carlos started.

"Carlos, your a mutante, go be with your kind," she smiled, her brown eyes dancing.

"I love you Tina," Carlos said, finally accepting what she was saying. "Are you gonna be okay to get home?"

"I'll be fine, go Carlos, call me when you get there," Tina said, gathering their shopping bags in her arms and ushering him along to the subway.

When they got there, they hugged each other fiercely before parting ways.

*** * * Sparrow * * ***

A young girl woke up early Friday morning, listening to her father cursing about the mutant scum, yelling at the television that the anti-mutant activists were right, that that Xavier ought to be burned. Sighing, she got up, and pulled on a pair of jeans up her long white legs and over her slender hips, and pulled on a shirt. She ran a quick brush through her long straight strawberry blonde hair. Her unique blue-green eyes caught the light as she stared solemnly at herself in the window. Her wide lips and blanched cheeks portraying no feeling, no thoughts towards her broken father in the kitchen.

Pulling on her boots, she climbed out the window and walked out to the barn. Pushing open the door, she went and tacked up her small mare, and, grabbing her helmet, headed out of the farm, away from her father and his bigotry, and into the mountains of Montana where she had grown up.

When her mare was warmed up, she broke into a canter, riding along, laughing and smiling in the early morning sunlight. She stopped off at lunch time, letting her horse graze while she laid out in the sun, her strawberry blonde hair fanned out around her head as she laid on the bank. When she and her horse were rested, she pulled on her helmet again and mounted, riding off along the perimeter of their cow paddock.

When she turned in the bend, she startled a brown bear that stood up on two legs, causing her mare to panic and rear, casting her backwards off the back of the horse. Disoriented, she pushed herself back, trying to get away from the bear, but when it swiped, she panicked and shrank, her arms becoming wings, her five toes dissolving into three. Her mind, reduced to that of a sparrow knew the command to fly, and she took off, flying over her horse, over the cows, and back to her home.

There she perched on the kitchen windowsill, watching her father in his underwear with a beer at his side in the kitchen.

"Mutant freaks," he scoffed, and the girl's little sparrow heart broke at his words. But she could hear the uplifting words of Professor Xavier echoing from the television, heard that he was the headmaster of a school in New York, and armed with that, she turned and took flight, heading east, hoping for something better.

*** * * Sayaka Suzuki * * ***

"Sayaka, stop rubbing your hands, you're only going to make it worse," her mother scolded.

"Ma, stop, it's the only thing that relieves the pain," Sayaka sighed. "This is the fifth doctor we've been to in two months, and all of them have said the same thing, that there's nothing medically wrong with me."

"Oh, all those doctors got their degrees in the Virgin Islands," her mother clucked.

"Ma, the last one graduated from Johns Hopkins, that's not in the Virgin Islands," Sayaka retorted, rubbing more anti-inflammatory into her hands. "You know, there's a doctor in upstate New York that deals with mutants."

"Nonsense dear, you know how your father feels about those-those people," her mother said haltingly.

"Dad doesn't need to know Ma. Just like you decided he didn't need to know I cracked the foundation on the beach house when I went into the basement to relight the water heater and that's why we came back early from vacation," Sayaka said. "Or when I damaged the driveway when I got my period two months ago! Just like you decided he didn't need to know about Nobu coming out of the closet!"

"Your brother being gay and your joint problems are in no way connected," her mother said tightly, gripping the steering wheel harder than necessary.

"No, but you insisting that Dad doesn't find out about the big things in our lives is," Sayaka replied.

"Saya, stop this, I will not have my daughter saying these horrible things," her mother said.

"Ma, pull the car over," Saya said.

"But-"

"PULL THE CAR OVER!"

Her mother pulled into a parking lot and stopped the car.

"Mom, you can't keep denying that this is happening. Nobu likes boys and my hands hurt, which makes me do things I can't control. Maybe this doctor can help us. Can we please at least try?" Sayaka begged.

Her mother sighed deeply. "What's this doctors name?"

"Dr. Henry McCoy. He takes patients on a case by case basis, but he's a regular doctor and a geneticist, maybe he can help," Sayaka begged.

"Fine, if you can make an appointment, I'll take you," her mother replied tightly, gazing down at her daughter who painfully rubbed her joints. Her beautiful daughter who could no longer hold a pen or brush her teeth on her own because her hands hurt so much

Several hours later, Sayaka sat at her desk, the phone sat in front of her quietly mocking her. Finally with a sigh, she pushed her sheet of thick black hair out of her face and picked up the phone and dialed the number. It rang once, twice, thrice before a man answered the phone.

"Hello? This is Dr. McCoy speaking," came an intelligent sounding voice on the other end of the line.

"Hello Dr. McCoy, my name is Sayaka Suzuki. I was reading an article that said you sometimes took mutant patients on a case by case basis, and I was hoping you would consider mine," she said nervously, her hands fidgeting in her lap like a bird with an injured wing.

There was a moment, sounds of the man settling.

"Please, continue when you're ready," the man said courteously.

"I have had constant joint pain and semi-regular migraines for the last 8 months. And during that time I managed to crack the foundation on my families beach house and rip an enormous scar into my families driveway," she said nervously. "I take pain killers for the migraines, and I use an anti-inflammatory on my hands, but neither work terribly well."

"What were you doing during both of these occurrences?" The man asked gently.

"When I cracked the foundation I had gone downstairs to relight the pilot on the water heater and I tripped. The second time I had my period and a bad migraine and was being taken to the hospital, I brought my hands up to my head, because of the light, it makes my migraines worse, and it caused the driveway to rupture," she said, silently berating herself.

"About how often would you say you get migraines?" The doctor asked.

"About twice a month," she replied.

"I would like to see you, are you in the area?" He asked.

"No, I live in New Jersey, but I can get a ride to your place no problem," she said.

"Wonderful, are you available tomorrow at 10 in the morning?" Dr. McCoy asked.

"Yes, I'll just need the address," she replied, grabbing a piece of paper and did her best to hold the pen as she wrote down the address. "Thank you so much Dr. McCoy, I'll see you tomorrow."

The next morning Saya woke up early, going into the bathroom she hopped in the shower and went through her ablutions. When she climbed out, she wrapped herself in a towel, and put some toothpaste on her mouth. She wiped the steam off the mirror and studied herself in the mirror while she brushed her teeth. Her brown almond-shaped eyes had gold flecks in them, and she had her grandmothers high cheek bones, and her fathers short stature. She was slightly overweight, but never let it bother her. Smiling her broad lipped smile, she went into her room and pulled on a long skirt and a green blouse. Then she pulled on her gloves and grabbed her purse before starting the long drive up to Salem Center.

Sayaka and her mother pulled up in front of the imposing mansion and stared up at it in awe.

"A doctor owns this place?" Her mother asked.

"I don't think he lives here alone," Sayaka offered, but she didn't sound too sure as she pulled off her gloves to rub more anti-inflammatory into her hands.

Climbing out of the car, they approaching the door wearily and her mother stuck out one manicured hand and rang the bell. A few moments later a tall man covered from head to toe in blue hair answered the door. He wore black pants, and a white blouse with a red brocade vest and a cravat.

"My name is Dr. Henry McCoy, may I infer that you are Sayaka Suzuki?" the man asked.

"Yes you may," Saya replied. "This is my mother, Megumi Suzuki."

"It is a pleasure to meet you madam, won't you please follow me?" Hank asked, leading them into the house. They followed him through several long corridors to a medical exam room at the back of the house where a red headed woman sat at a computer typing notes.

"Mrs. Suzuki, would you mind waiting here while we attend to your daughter?" Hank asked, beaming down at her mother.

"Not at all Dr. McCoy," her mother replied coyly, lowering herself into a chair as the doctor and the red headed woman left the room.

"Sayaka, this my assistant Jean, why don't you sit down on that table and we'll take some blood and do an exam, alright?" Hank asked as Saya climbed up on the table and seated herself.

After taking her blood pressure and doing a general check-up, he took a sample of her blood, and did a comprehensive medical history. Then he looked at her hands, feeling the pressure points and nerves and joints.

Then he left the room for a while with the sample of her blood. Saya nervously sat alone in the exam room, looking around at the tomes of medical books that lined the walls. When the doctor returned, he sat down and stared at her for a moment.

"I've run your blood through a genetics test Sayaka, and it seems that you test positive for the X-gene. The disturbances you've experienced, the cracked foundation and the broken driveway are indicative of your mutant abilities," Dr. McCoy said.

"Please doctor, just say what you mean," she said, gazing into his kind eyes.

"What I am saying, Miss Suzuki, is that you are a mutant, and those disturbances you've experienced are manifestations of your powers, I would say that you have the ability to cause earthquakes," Hank explained.

"Earthquakes?" She choked out. "Me? But I'm nothing special."

"Everyone is special Sayaka, whether or not they are a mutant. Now I can understand if you are nervous about telling your mother about your gifts. But I feel you should know that this is a school for mutants, a place where kids can be safe and get a proper education without having to worry about discrimination. And if you and your mother are open to the idea, I can speak with the headmaster about getting you a place for our fall semester," Hank explained.

"I-I think that would be best," Sayaka said, feeling a little bit winded.

"Would you like to tell your mother alone?" Hank asked, too understanding.

"N-no, would you stay?" She asked him.

"Of course," Hank replied.

Together they left the exam room and her mother stood up.

"Ma, umm, Dr. McCoy ran a few tests with my blood, and it seems that I'm positive for the X-gene. . . I'm a mutant Ma. All those disturbances, the cracked foundation, the driveway. . . I make earthquakes Ma," Saya said.

Her mother looked from her daughter to the doctor and back again.

"But the good news is that this is a school for mutants, it's a place where I can be safe and still get a good education," Sayaka said nervously.

"I-a school?" She asked tentatively. "What am I supposed to tell your father Saya?"

"Tell him it's a private school that your daughter received a scholarship for," Hank offered. "We can arrange that any correspondence regarding your daughters schooling here not any mention of your daughters gifts."

"Saya, is this what you want?" Her mother asked, looking down at her daughters honest round face.

"Yeah Ma, this is what I want," Saya replied.

"Okay, well, who do we talk to?" Her mother asked, her hands now as nervous and fluttering as her daughter's were the day before.

"Follow me," Hank said, leading them out of his office and into another part of the mansion. Logan walked past them on his way to the pool, and Sayaka eyed him appreciatively, feeling more and more certain that this was the right move for her.

The doctor lead them into an office where a bald man in a wheelchair sat at a desk.

"Professor Xavier, this is Sayaka Suzuki and her mother Megumi Suzuki. Mrs. Suzuki brought in her daughter for joint pain and migraines, and after I ran a few tests, it was discovered that Sayaka has the x-gene. She creates earthquakes," Hank explained.

"Thank you Hank. Would you two ladies please join me?" He asked. "My name is Professor Charles Xavier, welcome to my institute."

After a lengthy discussion and a tour of the mansion and grounds, Sayaka's mother felt confident enough to sign her daughter up, and they hugged at the door.

"I'll bring your things up tonight. You just go and get yourself settled in, okay? I love you Saya-chan, I'll see you in a few hours."

After her mother left, Sayaka went up to her new room, and stretched out on the bed, feeling like things were finally going to change for the best.


	2. XKids: Arrival

"You okay Jeanie?" Logan asked, coming into the kitchen in the mansion.

"Yeah, I just have this weird feeling about this years batch of kids," she said over her tea.

"I didn't think we had any enrolled," He replied, sitting down at the table with her.

"We don't, not yet anyway, but they're coming," she said.

"You've never really been one for nerves before," Logan pointed out.

"I dunno, I guess I'm just being silly," Jean said, getting up to put her mug in the sink. "You've got a training session with Scott this morning?"

"Yeah, I was just about to go and find him," Logan said.

_Meanwhile. . ._

Carlos walked down Greymalkin Lane feeling unsure of his welcome. He walked past the high fence, and when he reached the gate, he stopped and stared at the enormous mansion that lay at the end of the drive.

"Aye Dios mío," he murmured, leaning against the fence. "Tina, what did you get me into?"

Pressing through the gate, he nervously started down the drive, looking around the enormous grounds and feeling out of his league. He nervously approached the front door. Looking around, he rang the bell, and then stepped back several steps. After several long minutes, a man with brown hair and eyes answered the door.

"Can I help you?" The man asked.

"I don't know, my sister and I found out that you helped mutants here, and she made me come," Carlos said, blushing and refusing to look the man in the eye.

"What's your name?" Asked the man.

"Carlos Santiago," he replied.

"I'm Bobby Drake, come on in, and I'll take you to see the Professor," Bobby said, inviting him in.

"Thanks Amigo," Carlos replied, smiling nervously.

"No sweat man, follow me," Bobby replied, leading him into the house.

_Meanwhile. . ._

A little sparrow had been following Professor Xavier around all day. She had alighted his bedpost while he slept, and followed him into his office, sitting on the back of his chair. She ate the breadcrumbs he gave her, and he spoke to her gently, telling her about the school and the teachers and students.

When Bobby knocked on the door, she took flight up onto a bookcase.

"Come in," said the professor.

Bobby came in a moment later followed by a Latino boy who looked scared out of his wits.

"Hey Prof, look at what I found on the front steps, his name's Carlos, he makes tornados," Bobby explained.

"Thank you Robert. Carlos, why don't you join me for a chat," the professor said.

"A-alright," the boy stuttered, coming to sit down before they were left alone.

"My name is Professor Xavier Carlos, welcome to my school. Tell me, how did you discover your abilities?" The professor asked him, smiling across the desk at him.

"My sister Tina, she's 14, she and I went food shopping, and our way home, these guys tried to pull something with her, and when I stepped in to make them go away, I made these tornados. I was only going to push Tito down, but then these massive gusts of wind came up. I started them, I didn't mean too, it just happened. My sister, she saw the news report of the attacks at the genetics conference, and made me come here," Carlos said, talking quickly, clearly afraid of what was going to happen to him.

"How old are you Carlos?" Xavier asked, taking notes on a pad of paper with a gold pen.

"16 sir," Carlos replied.

"Where are you from?" He asked gently.

"The Bronx," Carlos answered, nervously twiddling his thumbs.

"You have no reason to be nervous Carlos, you're among friends here," the professor soothed.

"I know, it's just that I've lived in the City my entire life. This is my first time out of it," he answered, his dark eyes wide.

"Well, I'd like to welcome you to the Xavier Institute," said the professor as Bobby stepped back into the room. "Bobby, would you please take Carlos to the dorms and get him settled?"

"Sure thing Professor," Bobby replied brightly, leaving with Carlos.

After the two of them left, Charles Xavier turned to the sparrow that stood on the corner of his desk.

"Are you ready to come out of your shell little one? I won't hurt you, I promise, you're safe here little Sparrow."

The sparrow studied the professor for a long moment out of black eyes, then she flew down and landed on the floor in front of his desk. Her form shifting until she was human again, her straight strawberry blonde plaits falling around her face and down her naked back. She stared up at Professor Xavier out of enormous brown eyes. Taking off his jacket, he came around his desk and wrapped her in it.

"What's your name little one?" He asked her gently.

"Sparrow," she said, a note of desperation in her eery, sibilant voice. "My name is Sparrow."

"How old are you Sparrow?" Asked the professor, grateful to see her relax at his acceptance.

"13, I don't wanna go home. My daddy doesn't like mutants," she said, resting her head on the professor's lap.

"Shh, it's okay, we'll keep you safe here," Xavier soothed, stroking her hair.


	3. XKids: Arrival   continued

_Author's note: My great grandmother spent the last years of her life in Ma Wheaton's Trailer Park in St. Cloud Florida. I loved the name so much that I adopted it for my own story. But I have no connection to Ma Wheaton or her trailer park, as far as I know the place got shut down long before I was born. But I still felt that my grandmother's home deserved some credit ^.^_

_Two days later, at the, at the border of Pennsylvania and New York. . . _

"Darn it all!" Glenn cursed. "What a time for your truck to finally die Aunt Mable. Now what am I gonna do?"

"Having a problem?" A girl with chestnut brown hair asked, standing a few feet away.

"My truck died," Glenn said.

"If I help you get it working again, will you give me a lift?" She asked hopefully, brushing her thick wavy hair out of her grey eyes.

"Where are you going?" He asked warily.

"Salem Center," she replied, smiling at him brightly.

"What's in Salem Center?" He asked.

"There's a school there that I'm wanna try and get into," Dinah replied, playing with her hair.

"Oh yeah? Me too, Xavier's right?" He asked.

"Yeah, I'm hoping that they can help me too," she replied. "My name's Dinah."

"I'm Glenn, nice to meet you," he said.

"You wanna show me your engine?" Dinah asked, smiling at him.

"Err-" He started.

"No worries, stay there," she said, not missing a beat she went to check his engine, pressing on the battery cables and puttering about. Slamming the hood down, she looked at Glenn. "Try it now."

It started on the first try, and throwing her bag into Glenn's trunk, she climbed into the cab next to him. "New York or bust."

"Err, you don't mind?" He asked.

"Mind what? Your wings? No, of course not, I like them, wish I could fly," she said with a big cheesy grin.

They drove for hours, taking turns, napping, talking, telling stories.

"Punch buggy!" Dinah yelled as they passed into Salem Center, hitting Glenn on the shoulder.

"Oow! What was that for? Oooh, whack back Cadillac!" He called from the passenger seat, slapping her on the shoulder.

"Ooh Glenn, we're in Salem Center. Now what?" She asked, hunching her back.

"What do you mean now what? We find the school," Glenn replied, exasperated.

"Well duh, but what happens when we find the school?" Dinah asked, pulling onto Greymalkin Lane and parking on the side of the road.

"We beg for mercy? I can't go home, there's a lynch mob waiting for me there Dinah," Glenn said, raw terror written all over his face.

"Okay, fair enough, I can't go home either," Dinah said, resting her head against the steering wheel.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Because I ran away after my lifting my father, his truck, my families trailer, and the surrounding trailers off the ground by three feet. If I go back I have to face Momma and the twins and put up with my father beating me, and I can't do that. I left my everything based on a news report I heard after the attacks and the hope that this professor would help me. So yeah, I can't go back either. . . I guess we'll wing it," she replied, staring at the gauges behind the wheel. "No pun intended."

Putting the truck into first, they headed off down Greymalkin. Dinah got out when we reached the gate, and opened it, driving through she got out and pulled it closed, and they sat and started at the mansion for a long moment.

Holding out her hand to him, he stared at it for a moment before clasping it in his own. "You jump I jump." Dinah said.

"Xavier's or bust," Glenn said, and they headed down the driveway and parked in front of the house.

Getting out, they pulled their bags out of the bed of the truck, and approached the door. Glenn and Dinah held hands, and Dinah could feel Glenn's wings nervously fluttering against her back. Glenn rang the door, and they braced themselves for the worst. . .

Which came in the form of a man with red lensed sunglasses.

"Hi there, can I help you?" He asked, looking up at Glenn and then down at Dinah.

"Hi, we heard you helped mutants," Glenn said lamely. "We umm, can't go home because of what we are, and we heard about what happened at that conference in New York City, and were hoping that maybe you could help us."

"Did you two come here together?" The man asked, glancing at our tightly clasped hands.

"We met on the way here," Dinah said. "I helped him fix his car in exchange for a ride. But we're in this together."

"What are your names?" The man asked.

"I'm Glenn, this is Dinah," Glenn answered.

"I'm Scott Summers, a teacher here, why don't you come in and talk with the professor," he said, moving aside to let us into the cool recesses of the house.

Following him into the classically elegant yet modern foyer, they followed him through halls with elegant finials on the walls, inlaid wood floors and beautiful Victorian furniture offset by slightly more modern, comfortable pieces. By the time they stood outside of Professor Xavier's door, they were sufficiently overwhelmed by their surroundings to make them feel clumsy and uncouth.

Knocking on the door, Summers entered the room ahead of the two terrified kids.

"Professor, these kids just arrived together, say they need a place to stay," Scott explained.

"Of course, why don't the two of you take a seat. Scott, could you go prepare two more rooms for them?" Xavier asked, before turning his attention to the two kids in front of him. "Welcome to my school, I am Professor Charles Xavier."

"Thank you for having us Professor Xavier," Dinah said, smiling warmly. "My name is Dinah, and this is Glenn, we met on the way here. Glenn's car broke down and I helped him get it running again."

"And how did you get that far Dinah?" Professor Xavier asked.

"I walked, hitch hiked, rode in box cars on trains," Dinah said unapologetically.

"And where are you from?" He asked, taking an admittance form out of his desk.

"Kansas, Ma Wheaton's Trailer Park, just outside of Witchita," Dinah said with a bright smile.

"And you Glenn, where are you from?" Xavier asked, turning his attention on the boy.

"Ohio, a small mining town where I lived with my Aunt Mable and Uncle Gabe. I've always been strong, but when I got my wings, well, Aunt Mable said to come here, that my cousin Katherine Pryde worked here as a teacher," Glenn said nervously.

"Kitty? Yes, not working here right now. But I'm sure she'll be delighted to know that one of her relatives has joined her family here. Now how old are you two?" Xavier asked them gently.

"I'm 17, and Dinah's 15," Glenn said.

"And your abilities? What can you do?" Xavier asked.

"I have these wings, I can fly too, Professor. And I'm strong, not like regular guys, I mean, really strong, and I never seem to get tired," Glenn explained. Dinah found herself fighting the urge to gape at Glenn. His muscles were beautiful and defined, and made her drool more than a little bit.

"And you Dinah, what can you do?" The professor asked, startling Dinah out of her reverie.

"I lifted my father, his truck, and 5 trailers 3 feet off the ground. That's including my families trailer with my 600 pound mother. Momma hasn't left the trailer since Daddy left 4 years ago. That and every so often, I'll hear voices, like peoples thoughts, but that doesn't happen as often as making things fly without meaning too. I mean, things shouldn't fly on their own unless they're meant too," Dinah said nervously.

"It's called telekinesis, and you seem to have some mild telepathy Dinah. Very good, both of you. There are a few other students here at the moment, and I'm sure a few more will make their way here in time. Until then, it's just the 5 of you, whom you'll meet at dinner time, in about an hour. Overtime you may have to share a room with other students though, just be forewarned," Xavier explained before calling Scott back in who instructed them to follow him.

He took Glenn to his room first before showing Dinah to her own room, leaving them each to unpack and settle. Each room had a full sized bed, two nightstands, and a dresser with a bathroom down the hall.


	4. XKids: Student Orientation

_Meanwhile. . ._

"Yo Jean, you seen the new class yet?" Bobby asked, jogging to catch up.

"No, why, should I have?" She asked, stopping to let him catch up on her way to the kitchen.

"A kid with wings, a shapeshifter, a guy who makes tornadoes and is afraid of himself, a girl who makes earthquakes, and another whose telekinetic with mild telepathy. Says she lifted her trailer park off the ground," Bobby said. "These new kids make us look old."

"You're only 24 Bobby," Jean said, poking at him. "But those kids aren't the whole class, the last member is still on his way to us."

"Are you sure?" Bobby asked as they walked into the kitchen where Emma and Ororo sat.

"Oh yes, the last member is still trying to get here, he's in Pennsylvania now, but he should get here in the next few days," Emma said, looking up from where she sat.

"You feel him too?" Jean asked, getting the makings for dinner out of the cupboard.

"I've been feeling him for days, so much anger, so much distrust, but he's _hopeful_, it's such a miasma of emotion. He's been out of the sun for far too long," Emma said, staring off into the distance.

"Well, we can at least give him a safe place to start trusting again," Ororo said. "Shall I go gather the new children for dinner?"

"I'll come with you," Bobby said.

The two teammates set off together, heading for the girls dorms and knocking on the doors. "Dinner's going to be ready soon, why don't you girls go downstairs to the living room, some of our teachers have announcements for you before dinner."

Three girls walked past the two women, heading for the stairs. "I'll go with them," Ororo said. "Why don't you go get the boys?"

"Sure thing Ororo," Bobby said, heading off down the stairs and across the mansion to the other wing.

Bobby knocked on the two occupied doors, and the two boys emerged.

"Hey guys, I'm Bobby, you must be Glenn. The teachers have a few announcements before dinner, so I came up here to collect you," Bobby explained.

Leading them downstairs and through the mansion, the two boys looked around in awe.

"I've never seen a place quite as overwhelming as this, have you?" Glenn whispered to Carlos.

"No man, I've never been out of the City. This is just a little overwhelming," Carlos replied.

Bobby lead them into a living room where three other girls sat on a couch. They craned their necks around to get a good look that their new classmates.

The kids looked up at their teachers in awe. From the enormous man covered in blue hair, to the African woman with a shock of white hair. And no one missed it when Dinah nervously snaked her hand into Glenn's. When she caught the undercurrents of amusement in the room from her teachers, she flinched but kept holding his hand.

After a few minutes, a woman with a mass of red hair came into the room. "Do we have everyone here?"

"Yes Jean," said the enormous blue man. "Charles had a dinner conference in Manhattan, so it's just us tonight."

"Okay, well, let's get the party started, shall we?" She asked. "My name is Jean Grey, and I teach English, as well as telepathic and telekinetic control here at the Institute. Seeing as I'm both of those things."

"My name is Scott Summers, and I teach leadership tactics," Scott said. "I shoot optic blasts out of my eyes."

"My name is Dr. Hank McCoy," said the enormous blue fuzzy man. "I teach biology and field medical training. I possess superhuman intelligence, agility, and strength."

"Hey ya'll, my name's Bobby Drake. I teach math here, and I make ice," Bobby said with a bright gleam in his eyes.

"Name's Logan. I teach combat and survival training here, and attendance is mandatory," Logan said, offering no elaboration on himself as a person.

"My name is Emma Frost. I am a telepathic, and I teach ethics here at the Institute," Emma said primly while the boys gaped at her. "And if you boys don't learn some control, I'll be more than happy to teach it to you."

Glenn and Carlos jumped back in their seats, and the girls giggled.

"I'm Warren Worthington the 3rd. I teach flight here at the school," said the blonde man, exchanging a smile with Glenn. "It's pretty obvious what I can do."

"And I'm Ororo Munroe, I teach history here, and I can control the weather," Ororo said.

"And somewhere around here is Piotr Rasputin, our art teacher, and Remy LeBeau, who's getting a new student right now," Jean said as Scott passed out schedules. "If anyone needs any medical attention, Dr. McCoy is the place to go. And if anyone is having difficulty or a problem, come to one of us. We're all trained to help students, and sometimes talking it out is the best thing to do. Breakfast is at 7:15, classes start at 8. Lunch is at noon, and dinner is at 6pm. A training session can be called at any hour of the day by any teacher for any reason. But it's safe to say that if you get in trouble, someone is very likely to wake you up at 3am for a training session. So be on your toes. When Professor Xavier is out of the house, Mr. Summers and I are acting Headmasters."

The kids opened up their schedules, and compared them against their teammates. "We all have the same schedule," Saya said. "Shouldn't there be some variation depending on where we're at?"

"With five kids in a class, we're pretty sure there'll be plenty of time for individual attention," Dr. McCoy said, sounding amused.

"Why don't you kids introduce yourselves, tell us where you're from and what you can do," Miss Frost said to the kids. "Why don't we start with you Sayaka?"

"Umm, okay," Sayaka said, fighting for a little dignity. "My name's Sayaka Suzuki, but everyone calls me Saya. I'm from Summit, NJ, and I make earthquakes."

"I'm, umm, Carlos Santiago, from the Bronx. I umm, make tornados," Carlos said shyly.

"Hey, I'm Dinah Arnette," Dinah said brightly. "I'm from Kansas, just outside Witchita at Ma Wheaton's Trailer Park. I'm, umm, I'm telekinetic and mildly telepathic."

"I'm Glenn, Glenn Morgenstern, from Ohio. I can fly, and I'm really strong and have a lot of stamina," Glenn said.

"Sparrow," Sparrow said shyly.

"What can you do little Sparrow?" Logan asked, startling her enough that she shrank into a Sparrow and flew up high onto a bookshelf.

At that moment a tall man came to stand in the doorway.

"This is Piotr Rasputin, our art teacher," Jean explained with a smile.

"Dinner is served," Piotr announced, and everyone got up and filed out towards the dining room while Logan hung back with Sparrow.

"It's okay to be frightened Sparrow," he said, sitting down at a stool and looking up at the little bird that perched on the edge of the bookshelf. "I know someone hurt you where you came from. Someone who couldn't accept who you are, let alone what you are. It's easier to retreat and watch the world pass you by, it's easier to protect yourself by pushing others away. I know darling. But this place is about new beginnings, it's about finding a place where you're accepted for everything you are. You'll see that, just have faith."

Sparrow flew down and landed on his shoulder. "You ready for dinner?"

Getting up, Logan went down the hall to the dining room and sat down at the table, proffering up some breadcrumbs to the little birdie on his shoulder.

"So how does this schedule work?" Carlos asked, eating his spaghetti.

"Okay, so you have English, bio/med, history, ethics, math, lunch, then art, then you have weaponry and tactics on a daily rotating basis, and then control classes, where everyone is divided up depending on their talents. Then you have an hour off to start on your homework. After that you have two hours of combat training with Logan every night from 4-6. Then dinner," Scott explained to the kids who stared at their schedules. Shocked by how full it was. "You have your weekends to catch up on school work, but there are training sessions and gymnastics classes on the weekend that everyone is required to attend. Tonight you have off to get to know one another and learn the lay of the land, tomorrow you start classes and training."


	5. XKids: Learning the Lay of the Land

When dinner ended, and everyone wandered off, Dinah walked over to where Sparrow sat on Logan's shoulder.

"Hi Sparrow, I'm Dinah, one of your classmates. I think it's really cool that your a shapeshifter, I can't do anything nearly as interesting. We were gonna go take a walk around the mansion and the grounds, learn our way around a little. We think it'd be really cool if you joined us. But we'll understand if you'd feel safer staying with Logan," Dinah said, smiling at Sparrow.

"Go on Darling," Logan said gruffly. "You'll be safe, they're in the same boat you are."

Sparrow studied Logan for a long moment, and then considered Dinah before flying over to land on Dinah's shoulder. Dinah flashed a quick smile at Logan and then the kids left the dining hall and started wandering.

"What an overwhelming place," Dinah said as they walked through the halls.

"Tell me about it," Carlos murmured.

"You've never been a place this posh either?" Dinah asked absentmindedly.

"Nope, grew up in an apartment in the Bronx with my sister and dad. This is just a little too much for me," Carlos replied.

"Where I come from there are a lot of mcmansions, but nothing like this," Saya say in awe as they walked through a formal parlor. "I feel like I could break something just by sitting on it."

"What's a mcmansion?" Glenn asked, pausing to study a Louis the XIV clock.

"It's one of those enormous houses with all the fixin's inside that people picked out of a catalogue," Sayaka said, eyeing an art nouveau mirror.

"Oh my goodness, this is a knole daybed," Dinah breathed. "It's hard to find these, especially one that's in such good condition.

"You know art?" Saya asked.

"Yeah, I had this art teacher back home who turned me onto art history. . . Oh my goodness, Monticello windows," Dinah said, walking over to run her fingers against the painted wood. "This style of window had it's most noticeable debut in George Washington's summer home in Morristown."

"You sound like a recording," Saya said.

"Sorry," Dinah said sheepishly. "It's an automatic response."

"So, have you ever been in a tornado?" Sayaka asked Dinah as they left the parlor, curiosity taking over.

"Yeah, tornados are regular guests in trailer parks in Kansas. Amazingly none of them ever touched our trailer after Momma became a recluse," Dinah said.

"Maybe it was the extra weight," Carlos suggested as they poked into a little-used library.

"Nah, tornados pick up houses, I think they were just afraid of Momma," Dinah said, studying the spines of leather bound volumes. "So what stereotypical things happen in Jersey?"

"You mean besides diners? Bon Jovi happened in Jersey, Frank Sinatra too," Saya said.

"Really? I didn't know that," Glenn said, studying an ebony wood chess piece. "So what's it like in the Bronx?"

"It's amazing, chicas dancing to Samba music blasting from car stereos on the street, kids playing in the street, everyone knows everyone in my neighborhood. Some of my best memories are sitting out on the fire escape in the summer, waiting for our father to get home from the nightshift," Carlos said.

"What about your mother?" Saya asked.

"She died a few years ago, she got attacked by a drug addict on her way home from work one night," Carlos said slowly, crossing himself.

"Oh I'm so sorry," Sayaka said, apologizing instantly as Sparrow flew across to land on Carlos' shoulder.

"It's okay, thanks Sparrow," Carlos said. "So what's with these schedules?"

"Thank you!" Sayaka said as they found their way into a cozy little sitting room, and sat down on the couches.

"Forget breakfast, I'm just gonna sleep until it's time for class," Dinah said.

"Word," Sayaka said from where she sat, staring up at the ceiling.

"Ooh, look at the time, sorry kids, but it's been a long day, I'm heading to bed," Glenn said.

"Yeah, me too," Carlos said, getting up.

"Guess we should head that way too," Sayaka said.

The girls parted ways from the boys with Sparrow flying ahead of them. When they reached the girl's common room, they turned to Sparrow.

"Do you need any help with anything?" Dinah asked her gently.

They watched in awe as Sparrow's shape shifted from a bird to that of a 13 year old girl who laid naked on the common room floor.

"I'm okay," she said gently, trying to cover herself up.

"Here you go," Sayaka said, wrapping a blanket around the younger girls shoulders.


	6. XKids: Questions

_Meanwhile. . ._

"So what do you think of the new kids Scott?" Jean asked, rubbing moisturizer on her hands as she prepared for bed.

"I think we're going to have our hands full with those five," Scott said, putting toothpaste on his toothbrush. "I worry about that Sparrow though."

"She'll be fine, she just needs some time to see that this is a safe place," Jean said, then furrowed her brow.

"You're still worried about that other student that hasn't arrived yet, aren't you?" Scott said after he rinsed out his mouth.

"He's so volatile Scott, and he's focussed on this place like a laser," Jean said.

"Hey now, Jeanie, it's okay," Scott murmured, coming around the bed to wrap his arms around her. "When this kid gets here we'll figure it out."

"I hope so Scott, I can't get a read on this kid," Jean said, resting her head against Scott's chest.


	7. XKids: Leadership Tactics

_The next day. . ._

"Leadership tactics? Are they serious?" Dinah asked as they followed the maps on the backs of their schedules trying to find the room where their class was being held.

"Does this mean we're supposed to be in the basement?" Saya asked, staring at the map. "This is ridiculous, class started five minutes ago."

"It's their own fault for not giving us a tour," Dinah said grumpily. "Ooh! Hey! Mr. Rasputin!"

"Yes? What is it?" Asked the tall Russian man.

"Where's the war room - war room? Really?" Dinah asked, shocked.

"Come, I take you," he said, motioning for them to follow him.

They followed him into en elevator that took them down to the first basement, then he led them down the hall to a circular room with a central table.

"They got lost trying to find war room Scott, I bring them here," Piotr said, turning to leave the kids standing with their visored teacher.

"Alright, everyone come on in and sit down. This is the war room, this is where the X-Men meet to plan their missions and discuss tactics. I am the acting team leader. Each class we'll be meeting in here, I'll present a situation, each with a series of obstacles that must be taken in consideration. Then in the next class we'll discuss how you would approach it, and why it would or wouldn't work depending on the scenario," Scott explained. "Today in class we'll be discussing a scenario as a group discussion, after this each of you will work independently to come up with a plausible mission. . ."


	8. XKids: Combat Training with Mr Logan

"Logan, can I talk to you for a sec?" Emma asked.

"What's up Frosty? I got a class," Logan said, turning to face her.

"Keep an eye on Sparrow. She needs to find herself," Emma said.

"She's a 13 year old girl, she doesn't know how to do that yet," Logan pointed out.

"No, it's more than that, it's like she's had her spirit broken. . . Just, keep an eye on her," Emma said.

"Why are you doing this Emma? You've never done this for any of your other students," Logan growled.

"My other students were old enough to fight back," Emma hedged.

"She's not the first student we've had that's been abused," Logan pointed out.

"She's been systematically abused from a young age. Just keep an eye on her Logan, you're the best thing for her right now," Emma said.

Logan looked at her for another moment, long and hard. "I got class."

Turning, he walked away from her, weighing the information that he had been given.

Walking into the karate studio, he studied the kids sitting on the wood floor in sweats.

"That anyway to show respect for your dojo? When you come in here, you bow at the door and then kneel against the wall, and when you leave you bow on your way out, now go do it again," he growled, watching the kids get up and bowing on their way out of the dojo before turning around and doing it properly. When they had knelt he turned to them.

"Now, does anyone in here have any combat training? It doesn't matter if it's informal," Logan said, leaning against the wall.

"I got into a fight with Santo Paulo in the second grade," Carlos offered meekly.

"Did you win?" Logan asked.

"No," Carlos said, sounding defeated.

"No one here has ever learned to fight?" Logan asked, watching them shake their heads. "Okay, then, we'll start at the beginning. . . "


	9. XKids: HalfBaked Battle Plans

Hours later the kids dragged their tired sore selves out of the dojo and off to their respective dorms to shower. They were quiet at dinner, tiredly pushing their food around on their plates before they moseyed off to do their homework.

"What does this even mean? How can I construct a tactical strategy when I can't even keep my eyes open?" Saya groaned, pillowing her head on her arms.

"Okay, so there's an evil mutant named Bob, and he's got a school bus full of children trapped in a hanger. That hanger is half a mile away at the bottom of a ravine. But we can't cut through the straight path because there are sentries positioned at these coordinates. . . . Argh, it's cruel and unusual to schedule combat training and still expect us to be able to think afterwards," Dinah said, staring at the map they had been given. It was nine o'clock and all of their other assigned homework was finished and they were down to their tactics homework.

"So, then those sentries would be here and here, right?" Sparrow asked, pointing to the map.

"Sure, why not. Okay, just for the sake of sanity, let's go with that," Saya said, looking over at the map.

"Okay, so we can't cut a straight line across the area, but what if we went through these trees over here? And then dropped down into the ravine that way?" Dinah commented, studying the sheet they had been given.

"The ravine is empty right? So we break into the hanger and release the kids," Sparrow said.

"Okay, it's done, that's a wrap folks," Dinah said.

"What a half-assed tactical plan," Saya said, rubbing anti-inflammatory ointment into her hands.

"Are you really going to be an overachiever now? We can barely lift our heads," Dinah replied, rubbing her eyes.

"Come on, let's go to bed, tomorrow's another day," Sparrow said.


	10. XKids: Tense

_Meanwhile. . ._

"He's coming Jean," Emma said, standing at the living room window and looking across the grounds.

"I know Emma," Jean said, coming to join her, a snifter of brandy cradled in one hand. "Remy has him."

"Can you touch his mind? Whenever I try I get burned," Emma said, her eyes never leaving the horizon.

"I've touched his mind, he's looking for a place to call home," Jean said, a note of satisfaction in her voice. "But it won't be easy for him."

"Why not?" Emma asked, her vanity lost in the face of her teammates bald honesty.

"Because he's never had one," Jean replied, finishing the last of her brandy before turning away.


	11. XKids: Latest Addition

Remy pulled the car onto Greymalkin Lane. It was late, 2 or 3 in the morning, with only the waning moon to light their path. Pulling into the long driveway, he stopped the car and allowed the boy to take in the mansion.

Inside the Institute Jean woke with a gasp. Careful not to disturb Scott, she pulled on her dressing gown and eased out into the hall, meeting Emma coming out of her bedroom.

"He's here," Jean said softly, and the two women turned and silently padded down the hall, past the rooms of their sleeping comrades, down the main stairwell and into the foyer. Jean opened the door as the Jesse approached the front stoop, gazing up at them out of the shadows of his cloak.

"My name is Jesse," the boy said haltingly, his voice raspy as though he had been burned by smoke. "I read about your professor. Is the place where mutants are helped?"

"Yes, it is, my name is Jean, this is Emma, we teach here at the institute, why don't you come in?" Jean asked, careful to keep her tone neutral.

They lead the teenage boy into the living room off the foyer while Remy headed for bed. Jesse stood nervously in front of the two telepaths, his bag at his feet.

"Why don't you tell us about yourself and what brought you here," Emma said carefully, trying to get a psychic reading on the boy.

"My name is Jesse Augustus, I'm 16, from Chicago," the boy said carefully. "I used to work at the Killgare Hotel as the boiler man, but Remy came and told me about this school. He said that I could read here, that I would be safe. Am I safe here?"

"Of course you are," Jean said, her tone warm and friendly. "Every one who comes here is given a safe place, a chance to find their own way with friends by their sides."

"Why don't you take off your cloak Jesse," Emma suggested softly.

Hesitating only briefly, the two women watch as the boy lifted his charred and scaly hands up to his head to pull back his cloak. He stared down at the women defiantly, begging them to say something cutting, to prove some preconceived notion.

"Isn't that better?" Jean asked, smiling up at him. "Why don't you come with us and we'll get you a room in the boys dormitory. You're excused from classes tomorrow, and we'll get you a schedule and a chat with the professor in the afternoon."

"Are you sure?" He asked warily, trying to look hostile while the two telepaths looked right through his act.

"Yes, we're sure Jesse," Jean said, getting up out of the wing backed chair she had been occupying.

The two women lead him through the darkened hallways up into the boys dorm.

"Glenn and Carlos are in those two rooms, but all the other ones are available," Jean said softly. "The bathroom is through there, and the boy's common room is at the end of the hall."

"Thank you," Jesse said before turning and going into one of the rooms near the common room, leaving Jean and Emma standing alone in the dimly lit corridor.


	12. Xkids: Caught in the Storm

As Jesse settled into his bed and slipped away into the land of nod, Dinah woke screaming hysterically from a nightmare. Whenever she closed her eyes all her could see were embers and ashes. Rolling out of her bed in the dark, she ran from the girl's dorm, her barefoot pounding the floorboards, screaming as she ran. As soon as she cleared the stairs she began running through the darkened halls for the front door, desperate to get out into open air. When she neared the front stairwell, she ran smack into Logan who grabbed her, held her still while she screamed and struggled, desperately trying to get away.

"Dinah, Dinah! It's me, it's Logan, focus, what's the problem?" He demanded, staring down into her panicked grey eyes.

"There's fire everywhere, we have to get out of the house, it's burning, so much burning," she sobbed, trying to get away from her teacher.

"Whoa Darling, the mansion isn't on fire," he said gruffly as several other X-men stepped blearily into the hall. "Why do you think there's a fire?"

"It's everywhere, it's so hot, why can't you feel the heat? Why can't you smell the smoke?" Dinah screamed, pounding on his chest.

Logan looked at his teammates helplessly for a moment.

"Dinah, where did you see this fire?" Logan asked gently.

"We have to go Logan," She begged, tugging at his arms, trying to take him with her.

"Dinah!" Logan roared, shocking her in the present.

"W-what?" She said, then looked around her at her teachers in various states of undress, then down at herself, her pink zebra patterned night gown glaringly loud in the hall. She blushed a bright shade of pink. "How did I get here?"

"You don't remember anything?" Jean asked, glancing at Scott.

"No. Why? What happened?" She asked, confused.

"You woke up screaming about a fire," Logan explained.

"So much heat," she murmured, her eyes glazing.

"She's having a psychic attack," Jean said. "Quick, get her to a bed."

Logan lifted her into his arms and within seconds she was lying in Remy's bed, her skin was alabaster against the black silk sheets.

Jean sat down next to Dinah on the bed and reached out to her mind.

The inside of Dinah's psychic landscape was ravaged by flames, and Jean couldn't quite squash the feeling that she knew what the source was. Pushing the thought away from her, she focussed on dousing Dinah's thoughts with water, of eradicating the fire and cooling down her mindscape.

When the flames ceased to rage around her, Jean turned in a slow circle, casting out for some sign of the girl inside Dinah's mind. It wasn't until two small children walked over to her that Jean began to realize the complexity of Dinah's abilities.

The little girl tugged on Jean's sleeve.

"Dinah's afraid of the fire, so she ran," said the little girl.

"Dinah's not entirely human beneath the skin, she has an animal's sense about fire," said the little boy.

"Who are you children?" She asked gently.

"I am Mandy," said the little girl.

"I am Joey," said the little boy. "We are Dinah's twin keepers."

"Just as Dinah once kept us, we now keep Dinah," Mandy explained.

Mandy's skin was bone white, and her brothers was as black as pitch. Both of them had white eyes, and a cloud of long white blonde hair. Each wore a blood red robe and walked barefoot.

"Do you know where Dinah is?" Jean asked gently. "I need to find her."

"Are you the Phoenix?" Mandy asked as Joey proclaimed "the Phoenix has come!"

"We can only show the Phoenix where Dinah lies," Mandy said softly.

"Dinah was born with a caul on her face Phoenix, midwives believe that this denotes the second sight," Joey said, his sibilant voice ringing in the misty air.

"She has always known things before anyone else," Mandy said.

"She learned to keep her true nature to herself," Joey said.

"But if you are really the Phoenix," Mandy started.

"Truly the Phoenix," Joey continued.

"Then we will take you to her," they finished together.

"I'm am the Phoenix," Jean said softly, allowing the children to her hands.

They lead her away from the smoldering landscape, down a path that was bordered by pricker bushes with thick aggressive thorns. The path lead them to a set of stairs that went down down down into a deep forest populated by ancient trees, prehistoric in their size.

As they descended the stairs, Jean thought she could hear an animal calling, and as they descended the stairs, the grunts and snarls got closer and closer.

The little girl and boy stopped at the top step.

"We do not come to this place Phoenix. Go, help Dinah," they said before vanishing into nothing.

Jean stepped down into the perfectly circular space. There were four stone benches spaced evenly at the perimeter. Dinah knelt on the flagstones, her face in her hands while she wept and rocked, her shoulders shaking. Then Jean turned her attention to the animal on the dais in the center of the circle.

It was an enormous minotaur with angry red eyes. It was ten feet tall, and had a terrible intelligence in it's eyes, like a wild boars. It was solid muscle and struggled against the gold chains that held it tight to two stone posts with strange symbols on them. A battle axe leaned against the far bench.

The minotaur had been watching Jean take all of this in.

"You are the Phoenix," the minotaur stated baldly.

"Yes, I am," she agreed. "Who are you?"

"I am Dinah's guardian," the minotaur said, dragging out the 'eee' sound in her name; _Deee-naaah_.

"I thought the children were Dinah's guardians," Jean said.

"No Phoenix, the children merely protect the way here. But I protect the woman. I have always protected the woman," the Minotaur said proudly.

"Dinah's only 15," Jean started.

"Did the children not tell you? Dinah is special, she has always had her abilities," the Minotaur said angrily.

"She was born with a caul on her face," Jean repeated softly.

"So the children did tell you," the Minotaur said, seemingly satisfied. "Dinah has incredible power Phoenix, she will not take your place, she is meant to fill her own place in the world. Her power is latent, Phoenix. You must help her awaken them."

"That takes time, her abilities may never awaken. Evolution doesn't happen in a day," Jean said.

"That is not my concern. You must help her awaken her potential," the Minotaur said. "Now go."

When Jean looked back at where Dinah had knelt, the girl was no longer there, and the Minotaur had turned to stone. Shivering, she turned away and began to ascend the steps. About halfway up she found Dinah sitting naked on the stairs. When Dinah saw her, she studied her teacher for a long moment.

"Are you ready to return to your body Phoenix?" Dinah asked, and Jean got the feeling that she was truly asking the Phoenix herself.

"Yes Dinah, I am ready," Jean said softly.

Dinah turned and began walking up the steps. She made no effort to cover herself, showed no shame. Jean looked down at herself, at the long green sweater and soft grey pants. Then, sighing, she began to follow Dinah up the stairs.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Jean discovered that there was no briar path, but another courtyard with an ancient stone fountain in the middle of it.

Turning, Dinah placed her hands on her teachers shoulders, and Jean could see the tear stains on her cheeks. Then everything went dark.

Jean rocked back on Remy's bed, and looked around her. Dinah's eyes fluttered open a moment later, and she tried to sit up. She was aware of Remy leaning against the wall in the shadows, of Hank waiting attentively should a problem arise, but she stared straight into Jean's eyes.

"Don't tell anyone," she whispered.

"I won't," Jean replied, too shocked to say anything else.

"I'd like to get you down to the medical lab Dinah, make sure you're alright," Hank said. "Remy, could you help me?"

"Sure thing," Remy replied, and between the two of them, they managed to get Dinah to the med lab, leaving Jean sitting on Remy's bed, still in the shock.

_Meanwhile. . ._

Logan and Warren set off to wake up Dinah's classmates, with the exception of Jesse. It was still early in the morning, but they shook them awake, told them to get dressed and get a bottle of water. They were going on a hike.

In the shower, Carlos and Glenn turned on the water in separate stalls and got under the jet.

"Hey Carlos, what do you think of Dinah?" Glenn asked hesitantly.

"What do you mean?" Carlos asked.

"I mean what do you _think_ of Dinah?" Glenn repeated.

"Yo hombre, you've always had a thing for that chica. If you like her so much, you should tell her. You two have a history together," Carlos said.

"I know, but she's so bright and bubbly and I always feel like I'm tripping over myself around her," Glenn sighed.

"Dude, you think too much. Just relax and be yourself. I've seen how that girl takes your hand, I've seen how she smiles up at you. I have a hard time believing that she doesn't feel the same way," Carlos said.

"I guess, we'll have plenty of time to talk on the hike," Glenn said, turning off the water.

_Elsewhere. . ._

"Emma, what's the matter?" Scott asked, walking into Emma's room behind her.

"I don't like that Jesse boy," she said darkly.

"He didn't do that to her, there's no way," Scott said.

"There's no other explanation!" She said, turning at him angrily. "There's something that isn't right about that kid, and if he's affecting Dinah like that just by sleeping, imagine what he can do to everyone else while he's awake?"

"Emma stop, you're being ridiculous," Scott said. "He's just a kid, there's no way he could've started that psychic storm.

"You didn't meet that boy Scott! You weren't inside Dinah's head!" Emma yelled.

"Neither were you," Jean said coolly, coming to lean in Emma's doorway. "That boy may have triggered something, but what happened to Dinah was a long time coming."

"What happened?" Emma asked, turning to the other telepath.

"I can't tell you," Jean said softly before turning away.

_In the mansion foyer. . ._

Warren and Logan stood in the foyer as Remy came walking through.

"What's going on?" He asked, staring at the two men.

"We're taking four of the kids on a hike, you want in?" Logan asked.

"Which four?" Remy asked.

"Saya, Sparrow, Carlos and Glenn," Warren replied.

"Oui, lemme get dressed," Remy said, heading up the stairs.

Twenty minutes later, everyone had congregated in the foyer.

"Where's Dinah?" Glenn asked, looking around nervously.

"She won't be joining us," Logan said gruffly.

"Why not?" Saya asked.

"She had a problem with her telepathy last night, she's in with Jean," Warren said carefully.

"Can't we see her?" Glenn asked.

"You'll see her when we get back, now let's get moving," Logan said gruffly.

The seven of them left the mansion and walked across the grass in the pre-dawn light. Saya and Sparrow walked with a mourners silence, Saya's arm wrapped around her younger classmate. Carlos walked two steps behind them, carefully keeping an eye on each of them. Remy walked behind all of them, smoking a cigarette, the glow of the embers shining eerily in the darkness. Logan walked ahead of the two girls. And far ahead of them, Glenn stalked onwards, concerned and angry until Warren caught up to him.

"Slow down there buddy, you gotta pace yourself," Warren said.

"Why didn't anyone tell me she was having problems?" He demanded, turning to face the other winged man.

"They didn't arise until tonight Glenn," Warren said.

"What do you mean?" Glenn asked warily.

"She woke up screaming about a fire, she was running through the house, heading for the front door, screaming at the top of her lungs. Logan caught her-" Warren said, stopping when the younger man turned away from him.

"You caught Dinah? What happened?" Glenn demanded, staring down at Logan.

"Bub you better check yourself," Logan growled.

"Tell me what happened to Dinah! I need to know!" He demanded, his voice wobbling before he fell to his knees. Everyone stopped, watching the young man weep.

"Everyone go on, we'll catch up," Logan said, watching as the others turned away and continued down the path. Logan held the younger man while he wept, and when he calmed down enough, Logan sat down on a fallen tree and lit a cigar thoughtfully. When Glenn sat down next to him, he started talking.

"I thought I heard screaming and it woke me up. I went out into the hall, and I could hear Dinah screaming about a fire in the mansion, but I couldn't smell anything. She was headed for the front staircase. She ran right into me, screaming about a fire, about how the mansion was burning. I managed to snap her out of her for a moment, but when she asked what had happened, we told her that she had been screaming about the mansion burning. Her eyes started to glaze over. Jean said that Dinah was trapped in a psychic storm, that she was burning up. I picked her up, took her into Mr. LeBeau's room. Jean took care of the rest, whatever happened in Dinah's mind is between her and Jean. It's not your place to know what went on in there kid," Logan said gruffly.

"I don't want her to hurt," Glenn said, wiping his nose on his hand.

"She's not hurting at all Glenn," Logan said softly. "She just got caught in a nasty backfire. The prof says she's mildly telepathic. But her powers are constantly evolving. For all we know she's reached a new plateau in her development, and last night was her getting there."

Glenn sighed, shook his head.

"She's more than just a friend to you, isn't she?" Logan asked knowingly through the thick cloying smoke of his cigar.

"I want her to be," Glenn admitted.

"Tell her the next time you see her. Don't be afraid of looking stupid. I've seen the way she looks at you kid, and it's not the way friends look at each other," Logan said, dragging Glenn to his feet. "Come on, let's go catch up."


	13. XKids: Confessions

_Back at the mansion. . ._

Jean went to Professor Xavier's bedroom door. Knocking she waited until he called her in. Charles sat up in his bed, and as Jean came in, he flicked on the light on the nightstand.

"We had a disturbance last night," Jean said, settling herself on the edge of his bed.

"The new student?" Xavier asked.

"Emma's convinced he has something to do with it. He's sleeping now in the boy's dorm. . . Dinah woke up from a nightmare screaming that the mansion was on fire," Jean said. "She ran out of the girls dorm and was heading for the front door when Logan caught her. She kept screaming that the mansion was on fire, that we had to leave. She tried to take him with her. He got her to calm down, to focus. When we told her what happened though, her eyes glazed. . . She was caught in a psychic storm Charles. When I went into her mind there was fire everywhere. When I put it out these two children came up to me, Mandy and Joey. Twins, but opposites in every physical way. They said they were Dinah's keepers. That they now keep her the way she once kept them. They kept asking me if I was the Phoenix, when I said that I was, they took me to a place deep inside her psyche. There was so much ancient power there Charles. Dinah was there, she was kneeling and crying into her hands, she wouldn't look at me. And tied between these two stone posts was a minotaur. He called himself her guardian. He said that the Phoenix would awaken her latent power. But I don't know how to do that. And I have a sneaking suspicion and this new student might be the key to all of this."

"Does she remember anything?" Charles asked gently.

"I don't know, I don't know how much she knows about herself," Jean said distractedly.

"I think the best thing you can do is try to find out what she knows Jean," Charles said.

"You're right Charles," Jean said, sighing she got up and left the room, heading for the medical lab.

"My head feels scoured out," Dinah remarked from where she laid in the wide hospital bed with monitors hooked up to her keeping an eye on her vital signs.

"Yes, well, that'll happen when you get burned by psychic fire," Jean said, standing in the door. "How are you feeling Dinah?"

"I've had better nights," she said softly.

"Do you remember what happened?" Jean asked, pulling up a stool next to the bed. Through a window she could see Hank's back as he worked on the Legacy Virus.

She looked at Jean, tears cresting in her grey eyes. "I don't know what any of it means. It's like there's someone else living in my body with me."

"What do you remember about last night?" Jean asked, handing her a tissue.

"There was so much fire, it was everywhere, so I ran to the forest. I'm always safe in the forest. But I fell on the stairs, I slipped as I was running down them. . . When I woke up I was sitting naked on the stairs and you were there, in front of me. Why? What do you remember?" Dinah asked, staring up at her teacher.

"After I doused the fire, these two children came out, they called themselves Mandy and Joey, they said they were your keepers," Jean explained.

"Were they twins?" Dinah asked.

"Yes," Jean replied, confused by the hurt and frustration that welled on Dinah's face. "Why are the twins significant Dinah?"

"How old were they?" Dinah asked, ignoring her question.

"About three or four," Jean said.

"What did they say? What exactly did they say?" Dinah pressed, gazing intently into Jean's face.

"They said that just you once kept them, they now keep you," Jean replied, wondering how much she should tell the young woman.

"My kid brother and sister are twins, after Momma stopped being able to leave her room, I took up the care of the kids, feeding them, bathing them, changing them, everything," Dinah explained. "I kept them."

"Their appearance in your mindscape doesn't mean anything except that you have a duality, light and dark in your case. That duality could have taken the form of any sort of double," Jean explained.

"Yeah, but it took the form of my siblings, what else did they say?" Dinah asked gently.

"That was it," Jean said softly, wondering what sort of a burden this child bore. "Get some rest, I'll bring you your dinner in a little bit."

Leaving the lab, Jean went to get Emma and together they went and collected Jesse from his room

Jesse followed Emma and Jean down the hall to the professor's office. Knocking on the door, they walked into his office, closing the doors behind them.

"Welcome Jesse, I'm Professor Charles Xavier, welcome to my school," Xavier said, smiling up at the young man. "Why don't you take a seat?"

The young man sat down, his scales clicking against the wood chair.

The three telepaths reeled from the quiet hostility that radiated from the boy, and Emma had to restrain herself from smacking the boy.

"I heard you helped mutants here," he said warily. "Teach them to control their powers."

"That's true, this is a school where children with gifts such as yourself can learn control in a safe accepting environment," Charles said carefully.

"I'm not a child," the boy stated grimly.

"No, of course you aren't," Xavier said, quick to agree with the boy.

He sat there tensely for a moment, seemingly chewing something over.

"I've never had a home before," he said quietly. "My parents didn't want me because of the way I look. They sold me to be a slave to the boilers. I don't want to do that anymore."

"I don't work my students here Jesse. This is like any other school, you attend regular high school courses such as English and math. In addition to that you also take courses in learning to control your powers. There are other students here now, I believe they were taken on a hike," Charles said softly. "This can be your home if you let it."

Jesse studied the three of them intently. "I think I did something bad, then."

"It's okay, you can tell us," Xavier said encouragingly. Emma glared at the back of Jesse's head, and Jean held her breath.

"I dream about fire. Always fire. . . I heard that girl screaming about the mansion being on fire last night. Did I hurt her? Did I do something wrong?" He asked desperately.

Professor Xavier looked at the boy, momentarily speechless. "She dreamed your dream?"

"It was the final reason why my parents sent me away. . . my baby brother was born with a caul on his face, and he used to have my dreams too when he was little. It's rare, some people say it denotes a second sight," Jesse said.

Jean stiffened at his words and caught the professor's eyes for a panicked moment.

"I didn't mean to do it, I'm so sorry, it was an accident," he said, terrified. "Please don't send me away. Please, I can't go back there, I'm so sorry."

"Shh shh shh, Jesse, relax, no one's going to send you away," Xavier soothed. "We know you didn't mean to do it. Accidents happen, this is why this school exists, so you can learn from your mistakes."

When Emma and Jesse left the room, Jean lingered for a moment.

"Dinah doesn't remember anything Charles. . . she was born with a caul on her face," Jean said, unable to hide how unnerved she was by all of this.

"That's an old wives tale Jean, it doesn't mean anything," he replied.

"Her keepers said she wasn't entirely human beneath the surface, her guardian said that he had always protected the woman. What does that mean?" Jean asked, staring down at her teacher.

"Her keepers, the twins, were they identical? Or opposites?" Charles asked, coming out from behind his desk.

"Opposites, the boy was dark, the girl was light," Jean said, settling into an armchair in front of the fireplace.

"And the minotaur was guarding the woman, correct? But the children said that Dinah wasn't entirely human beneath the surface," Professor Xavier mused. "Could it be that the animal beneath the surface is being held captive somewhere in her mindscape?"


	14. XKids: Meetings and Speculations

_Later that day. . ._

The kids trudged back along the path towards the mansion, they were tired and dirty, and Saya kept rubbing her hands, frustrated at the pain that seemed to be a constant plague. Sparrow glided overhead in the form of a falcon with Warren and Glenn flying overhead. Carlos chatted with Logan at the back of the group while Remy made his way over to Sayaka.

"What's the matter Saya?" He asked, motioning to her hands.

"Oh it's nothing, my hands just bother me a lot," she said, rubbing some lineament into her hands as they walked.

"Does that help any?" He asked.

"It helps a little," she admitted reluctantly.

"You know, my hands used to bother me when I was about your age," Remy said.

"Oh yeah? What did you do?" She asked, looking up at him.

"Well keeping them warm helped, it was good that I was still in Louisiana. When I was still there, a medicine man gave me a recipe for a salve in exchange for something that he wanted. How 'bout tomorrow night I show you how to make it?" Remy offered, smiling broadly down at her.

"Really? That sounds great," Sayaka said brightly as they rounded the corner and started walking across the grass towards the mansion.

When they were about ten feet away from the back patio Scott and Emma came outside, flanking a young man covered in black scales, each one glowing with potential.

"Guys, before you go in and get ready for dinner, we wanted to introduce you to your new classmate, this is Jesse. Jesse, this is Glenn, Sayaka, Carlos, and that falcon is Sparrow. This is our combat teacher, Logan, our flight teacher Warren Worthington, and our projectile weaponry teacher Remy LeBeau," Scott explained.

Everyone looked up at him, not sure who was going to make the first move. The Carlos took a step forward.

"Welcome to Xavier's man. It's nice to meet you. Those are some wicked awesome scales," Carlos said, extending his hand. Jesse hesitated a moment then took it.

"Thanks, it's nice to meet you all," Jesse said, smiling brightly, his teeth shown bright white against his pitch dark scales.

"So what can you do?" Sayaka asked, rubbing her own hands against each other.

"I can make and control fire," Jesse said honestly. "And heat doesn't bother me."

"I'd wager the cold doesn't bother you much either," Glenn said.

Jesse laughed. "No, it doesn't."

"Why don't we go inside and get cleaned up for dinner, we can talk more then," Carlos suggested.

As the others went inside, Glenn walked over to Emma.

"How is Dinah doing? Is she okay?" He asked her, a note of desperation in his voice.

"Glenn," Jean said from the door. "Come with me."

Glancing at his teachers, Glenn turned towards Jean. Walking into the cool recesses of the house, Jean lead him down into the basement.

The room where Dinah was was dark and quiet, and she slept peacefully. Standing in the doorway, Jean watched Glenn approach the bed before turning away to join Hank in the lab across the hall.

Glenn sat down on the stool that Jean had occupied earlier in the day.

Reaching out an enormous hand, he gingerly brushed her hair out of her face and her eyes fluttered open. For just a second, he could have sworn he saw something dark and feral glint in her eyes before she focussed on him.

"Hey Glenn, how was the hike?" She asked tiredly in the semi-darkness.

"It was good, Professor Xavier has such beautiful land out here," Glenn replied, taking her fragile hand in his. "How are you feeling Dinah?"

"I've had better days," she said, smiling weakly.

"I was so scared when I heard what happened. I wanted to come back here, but Logan wouldn't let me," Glenn said.

Dinah just smiled up at him, reaching out to brush a hand against his cheek.

"Dinah, I was wondering, if you want to, do you wanna go see a movie with me sometime, maybe get dinner?" He asked nervously as Dinah twined her fingers through his.

"Mr. Morgenstern, are you asking me out on a date?" She asked him gently.

"Yes Dinah, I am," he said honestly, sobering her.

Biting her rosy bottom lip, she considered it for a moment, then smiled again. "Of course I'll go out with you bat-boy."

"I'm bat-boy? Then what does that make you?" He asked teasingly.

"Telekinetic tornado bait," she replied, laughing.

"So what's with the new student that's got everyone in a snit? When can I meet him?" Dinah asked, looking up at Glenn.

"You'll meet him in a little bit, your classmates want to eat dinner with you. I'll be sure to sent down your dinner," Jean said. Glenn left with Jean, and Dinah laid in bed, smiling quietly about her date.

When the kids walked into Dinah's room they were laughing and joking and Jesse timidly brought up the rear. Glenn and Carlos helped Dinah sit up, and Sayaka set her dinner down on the tray next to her bed, swinging it around so Dinah could eat. With her friends sitting other either side her, Jesse joined them at the foot of her bed.

"You must be Jesse," Dinah said, grinning brightly at her new classmate. "I'm Dinah, welcome to Xavier's."

"Thanks, it's nice to be here," he offered with a smile. "Can I ask a question? Does anyone else have a crazy class schedule."

"Yeah, that's how you know you're a student at Xavier's," Sayaka said, dropping her fork back onto her plate and sighing deeply.

"You okay there buddy?" Carlos asked.

"It's my hands," she said, shaking her hands out.

"Here, can I try something?" Jesse asked.

"Okay," Saya said, quirking an eyebrow.

"Give me your hands," Jesse said. Carlos glared at Jesse, jealousy shining in his liquid brown eyes.

Saya put her tray down on the bed and turned to face Jesse. Taking her small hands in his own, he heated up his hands, easing away the pain her joints, when she released them she looked down, surprised.

"Wow, thanks Jesse, this feels so much better," Saya said, resuming her meal.

Sparrow watched Carlos, the jealousy and the hurt look in his eyes, saw him try to shrug it off as nothing.

"So we're going to start our lessons in control tomorrow, who do you think we're getting?" Glenn asked, leaning back in his chair.

"I'm pretty sure I'm getting Mrs. Grey-Summers," Dinah said.

"Well duh," Saya said. "You've been working together so far. I think I'm gonna get Mr. Drake, what about you Sparrow?"

"I dunno," she said shyly.

"It's okay to have an opinion Sparrow," Glenn said.

"You know, Mr. Logan took really nicely to you Sparrow, I'll bet you get him," Carlos said, smiling at her.

"Maybe," she said quietly.

"I think you're gonna get Miss Munroe," Glenn said, punching Carlos on the shoulder.

"Yeah, and you're gonna get Mr. Worthington," Carlos said, punching him back.

"I think Jesse's gonna get Mr. Summers," Dinah announced, taking a bite of her chicken parm.

"What are the teachers like?" Jesse asked tentatively, cutting his meat.

"Mr. Summers is kind of a tight ass, but he can be cool," Saya said. "Miss Munroe is the most proper woman I've ever met. I know, I did cotillion three years in a row back in Jersey and I'm not even that good".

"You what?" they exclaimed, staring down at her in shock.

"Yeah, my mother signed me up, wanted me to be a proper lady. I can dance, make a swan out of a napkin, and I know what utensils are for what food," Dinah replied. "Don't look so scandalized, it's pretty common where I'm from."

"What about Miss Frost? Does she always dress so-so-" Jesse started.

"There isn't a polite way to describe the way Miss Frost dresses," Saya said tartly.

"Yeah, she's always like that. But if you pay any attention to it, she gets real bitchy," Carlos said. "Mrs. Grey-Summers is cool, she really cares about everyone, and Mr. Drake and Dr. McCoy are downright awesome."

"And Professor Xavier is amazing, we'd all be homeless or helpless or both if it weren't for him. He really goes above and beyond for his students," Glenn said.

"Mr Logan too," Sparrow said quietly. "He can be scary, but he's patient and he cares."

There was a moment of silence while everyone pondered this.

"Okay guys, it's late, I'm going to bed, tomorrow's going to be another long day," Saya said, stifling a yawn. Stacking her tray on Dinah's, she rose and left the room after saying good night, and slowly people followed her out until it was just her and Glenn, who kissed her on the cheek before departing.

Hank came in shortly after they left.

"You should be fine to go back to classes tomorrow Dinah, just take it easy," he said, checking her monitors and taking some notes on a pad of paper.


	15. Xkids: Reactions and Consequences

_The next afternoon. . ._

The kids wandered into the living room and sat down, waiting for their tutors to come and claim them.

Saya rubbed anti-inflammatory into her hands in a flurry of nervous movement while Carlos paced.

"I feel like I'm in a hospital waiting room waiting to be told if it's a boy or a girl," Dinah muttered, batting away Glenn's comforting hands.

When their teachers came in, each of them stopped what they were doing to stare at the six X-Men that had filed into the room.

"Okay guys, moment of truth," Bobby said, pulling a list out of his back pocket. "Dinah, you're with Jean. Glenn, you're with Warren, Jesse, you're with me, Sayaka you're with Scott, Sparrow, you're with Logan, and Carlos you're with Ororo. Team up and head out."

Each kid wandered off with their respective tutor except for Dinah. Jean sat down across the coffee table from her. Clearing away the floral arrangement, she set a silverware case on one end of the table and opened it. Removing a spoon, she set it on the table on front of her.

"Alright Dinah, I want you to try and bend that spoon in half," Jean said. "In order to do that I want you to see the spoon in your mind, and then see it bend. While you're doing that, will the actual spoon to bend."

"O-okay," Dinah said, lifting the spoon off of the table. It was a simple silver spoon with a delicate engraving of an 'X' on the handle. She held it in her right hand, and stared at it for a long moment, learning it as she committed it to memory. Then she pictured it bending in her mind, and felt a tremendous surge of energy, but nothing happened.

"Try it again," Jean said, leaning back in her chair.

Dinah willed the spoon to bend, each time feeling that tremendous surge of energy. Dropping her hand so that she still held it loosely, she followed that surge of energy to it's source inside of herself. When she consciously tapped into that energy, the spoon in her hand began to jitter and vibrate until it bent itself into a knot and fell to the floor with a _thunk_.

Glancing at each other, Dinah reached down and picked up the bent spoon, placing it on the table top. The two women studied it for a long moment before looking at each other.

"Great, let's keep going," Jean said.

After bending more utensils into useless knots, Jean removed a serving spoon from the box, and instructed Dinah to stand on the other side of the room while she placed it on the refectory table under the windows at the opposite end. Coming to join her, Jean told her "Find the spoon with your mind, feel it out. When you think you've got it, bring it over here to us."

"How do I find it?" Dinah asked, looking up at her mentor.

"Close your eyes and picture the room, then open up your senses, open up your mind Dinah," Jean explained.

Closing her eyes, Dinah pictured the room, and then opened up her mind, taking in more than the room, she saw flashes of Logan with Sparrow on the patio, of Glenn flying high over the grounds with Warren, and she saw Hank in the shower singing "Nessum Dorma".

"What's the matter?" Jean asked gently.

"When I opened my mind, I got more than just the room," she said, sticking her tongue out.

"That can be a problem, but try it again, this time focus on finding the spoon in the room," Jean explained patiently.

"Okay," Dinah said. Closing her eyes, she reached out with her mind, opening it little by little until she had the room itself. Then she snaked out until she found the serving spoon. She tried to pick it up, furrowing her brow at how heavy it was.

Jean stood by patiently, watching the spoon rattle and shake on the desk before it shot straight up in the air, it began turning slowly, like a meteor traveling through space, as it moved across the room to stop in front of Dinah, rotating slowly.

Dinah opened her grey eyes and smiled, snatching the spoon out of the air with a shout of laughter, before exhaustion overtook her and she down on an ottoman.

"I think that's enough for one day Dinah. Try practicing with things over the weekend, and we'll pick up on Monday," Jean said softly.

_Meantime. . ._

"Saya, it's about quitting time," Scott said form where he leaned against the grill of his car.

They were standing in an old field full of rocks and wildflowers. Sayaka had spent the last hour breaking up the soil, creating huge mountains of dirt and stone.

"Just five more minutes Mr. Summers, this is the least pain I've been in in years," Saya exclaimed wrenching more damage out of the ravaged earth.

"What do you mean pain Saya?" Scott asked, suddenly worried.

"My hands are in constant pain, and I get wicked migraines," Saya said, jumping back when the broken ground got too close to her feet. "Okay, let's call it a day."

"Have you seen Dr. McCoy about this?" Scott asked as they climbed into the car.

"Yeah, he said it was my mutant abilities manifesting themselves, and that there wasn't much we could do. But Monsieur LeBeau said he'd help me make a salve that would relieve my joint pain," Saya explained, pulling on her gloves despite the warmth of the day.

When they arrived back at the house, her classmates were tiredly returning to their dorm rooms to take a nap after Logan had mercifully cancelled their combat classes in light of their activities. All but Sayaka were exhausted, Saya felt energized and rejuvenated by her stretching herself.

Remy walked into the room carrying a basket of things. "You ready petite?" He asked.

"As I'll ever be," she said as they disappeared into the kitchen.

Logan walked into the foyer as Scott hung his coat in the closet. Logan was carrying Sparrow's clothing, and the young girl in the form of a wolf took her clothes from him in her mouth and set off up the stairs.

"How was the little seismograph?" Logan asked, motioning to the girl's retreating back.

"I've never seen anyone get so pumped using their powers, when she comes into her full strength she's gonna be a force to reckon with," Scott said, turning to the shorter man.

The door bell rang and the two men turned towards the door. Scott was the first to reach it and he opened the door on a young Japanese man.

"Hi, is Sayaka Suzuki here?" He asked, a hint of fear in his voice.

"And you are?" Scott prompted, looking down at the younger man.

"Oh, sorry, my name is Nobu Suzuki, I'm Saya's brother," he said.

"Of course, come on in, I'll go get her," Scott said, leaving Nobu alone with Logan in the foyer, he walked down the hall to where Saya and Remy were working in the kitchen.

"Sayaka? Your brother Nobu is here asking for you," Scott said.

"Oh, umm, okay, I'll be right there," Saya said, dropping a measuring cup's worth of marigold petals into a pot and following Scott back into the foyer.

"Nobu, is there a problem?" Saya asked in Japanese.

"Father is coming here," Nobu replied.

"Father? Our father?" She exclaimed, her voice going up an octave.

"No Saya, the father of us all! Of course our father! He's driving up with Ma. I barely beat them here," Nobu replied in rapid fire Japanese.

"What? Crap!" She yelled in English. "Hide Jesse! Hide Dr. McCoy! Hell, hide me!"

"What is the racket in here?" Professor Xavier asked as he came into the foyer.

"My father is coming!" She exclaimed, frustrated that no one seemed to understand the seriousness of the situation.

"Saya, they don't understand what that means," Nobu said.

"Okay, when Nobu came out of the closet to our mother, she devised this huge plan so that our father wouldn't find out. Because our father believes that there are certain purposes that my brother and I are meant to fulfill in our lives. Nobu is meant to marry a nice quiet Japanese girl and carry on the family name and honor. And I am meant to marry the heir to an electronics fortune back in Japan as a power play on the way to merging their two companies. Of course, my being a mutant and my brother being gay puts a huge monkey wrench in all of this, and our mother is caught in the middle and the woman practically has an ulcer from trying to keep our father happy. So we need to tuck away the kids and try to help our mother keep her head on straight," Sayaka said, exasperated.

"Saya, did it ever occur to you that perhaps telling your father about what you really are would be the better solution?" Xavier asked, gazing up at the young Japanese woman.

"He has a point Saya," Nobu said, putting an arm around her shoulders. "It's not fair to me or you, and it's definitely not fair to Ma."

"Nobu, no, doing that is playing with fire," Saya said as the doorbell rang. They swung around to stare at the door in trepidation.

"Scott, quickly, go tell the other students to stay put, Logan, go tell Hank and Warren to make themselves scarce," Professor Xavier said. "Saya, go get changed, and take your brother with you."

The two kids took off up the stairs as the professor opened the door and welcomed their parents into his home.

Five minutes later Sayaka descended the stairs in a long black skirt and a long red sweater with long sleeves. Her black hair was swept up out of her round face in a bun.

"Father, it is an honor to welcome you to my school," Sayaka said formally. "Welcome Mother."

"Hello Sayaka, hello Nobu," their father replied formally.

Saya and Nobu sat down on a love seat across from their parents.

"Thank you Professor Xavier for giving our daughter a place in your fine school. You are too kind," their father said.

"Sayaka is a pleasure to have Mr. Suzuki. She's made friends with all our students and her progress with her school work is excellent," Professor Xavier said.

"I am glad to hear it Professor Xavier. Our Sayaka has always had trouble fitting in. Her joints cause her great pain, and it can be difficult for a girl to make friends when she is constantly hindered," Mr. Suzuki said.

"We've been working with Sayaka trying to find a way to relieve her joint pain," Charles said genially. "We are optimistic that it won't be a problem for much longer."

"That is good news to hear Professor Xavier," Mr. Suzuki said. "But I am curious how Sayaka could receive a financial scholarship to your institution when she was only a mediocre student back home."

"Sayaka has proven that she has other gifts that made her a desirable asset," Charles said carefully.

Before anyone could go anything, Glenn popped his head into the living room, his wings visible behind his enormous shoulder. "Saya, have you seen Dinah anywhere? I need her notes. . . Oh, sorry, didn't mean to interrupt."

Sayaka's head whipped around to stare at her father who had gone an odd shade of plum.

"Sayaka, is there something you wish to tell me?" Her father said tightly as he stood up.

"I-I-I" she stuttered.

"Father, I'm gay," Nobu cut in. "I wanted to tell you, but I didn't want to disappoint you."

Their father turned his attention on his son. "What did you say?"

"I like men Father, I like the way they look. I didn't tell you because I knew how important it was to you that I marry, but I can't live like this anymore," Nobu said, standing to face his father.

"And you Sayaka, do you have anything you want to tell me?" Her father asked, glaring down at his daughter.

"I-I-I-I'm a mutant Father, it's the reason why my joints have always bothered me," Sayaka wept in Japanese, falling to her knees.

"Please Father, we're you're children, don't shut us out," Nobu begged as their father started walking towards the door.

Their father turned towards them. "I have no children."

Turning he left the house while their mother scurried after him, giving them an apologetic glance.

"I-I'm sorry," Nobu said, sounding defeated. "I need to be going now."

Then it was just Sayaka and the professor in the living room. The young woman was inconsolable, and eventually Hank had to sedate her and put her to bed in his lab so that she couldn't hurt herself.

Later on that night, Saya's classmates gathered in an out-of-the-way sitting room to talk.

"I can't believe that her father did that to her and her brother," Dinah said in disbelief.

"Some parents can't handle their children's differences," Sparrow said quietly without elaborating.

"I think it's despicable," Glenn said disgusted. "She's his daughter, that should matter more than anything else."

"Her mother could have said something, could have tried to make a difference. The way Saya talked, she always made it sound like her mother was so supportive," Carlos said from where he sat in the shadows.

"It's not always so easy," Jesse said carefully. "I was born looking like this, but my parents still tried to do their best by me, despite the way that I look and the fire starting, they tried. When I was 8 my mother had my baby brother was born, and they worried, after four years though between me and my brother, they couldn't handle the stress, so they sent me away,"

"Did you ever see them again?" Glenn asked, treading carefully.

"No, I didn't," Jesse said softly from where he stood by the window, glowing softly in the darkness.

"I can't take this, I'm gonna go see Saya," Carlos said, getting up suddenly and leaving the room.

"Yeah, I have some more homework to do, defeating Evil Mutant Bob doesn't happen over night," Dinah said, climbing to her feet.

"I'll come with you, I need some help with my strategy," Glenn said, following her out and leave Sparrow and Jesse alone.

"Sparrow? Do you feel at home here?" Jesse asked quietly.

"What do you mean?" Sparrow asked from where she sat in an old arm chair.

"I mean, do you feel close to the people here? Do you feel like this is a place that you could call home?" Jesse asked, a note of worry in his voice.

"For a long time, I lived in a house. But I never felt at home," Sparrow said carefully, coming to stand near him in the shadows. "Here, it feels more like home with each passing day."

"Sometimes I wonder Sparrow. . ." Jesse said, then stopped.

"Wonder what Jesse?" Sparrow asked, reaching out her hand to place on his warm shoulder.

"I wonder if I'll ever feel at home here, or anywhere. I wonder if I'll ever connect with the people around me," he said, furrowing his brow.

"You've been away from people for a long time, haven't you?" Sparrow asked huskily, unaccustomed to speaking so much.

"Before I came here, I lived in a hotel basement feeding coal in the furnace. Because it was so hot down there, I was the only one who could stand up to it for long periods of time. So in exchange for working the boilers, they fed me and gave me a place to live. But when I heard about this place. . . I wanted to try. But now that I'm here, I'm not so sure," Jesse said quietly.

"Your heart's in the right place Jesse. Just give it time, the rest will follow," Sparrow said quietly.


	16. XKids: Defending What Matters Most

Carlos made his way down to the basement alone. The metal tapped beneath his feet as he walked. He caught a glance of himself in an observation window and winced. His usually broad face smiling face looked tired and drawn. Pursing his lips, he forced himself to turn his head and walked into Saya's room.

She laid on the bed curled up in a ball with her broad back to him. Her shoulders shook with an effort not to cry.

"Hey Saya," Carlos said softly. Sayaka turned towards him.

"Please Carlos, I want to be alone," she said softly, her voice wobbling.

"No you don't," he said, walking into the room.

"Please go away Carlos," she said, almost angrily.

"I'm not going anywhere," he said, sitting down on the edge of her bed.

"Carlos, I'm not kidding around, I want to be alone," Saya said.

"Come here Saya, let me help you," He said.

"Carlos stop," she begged, tears welling her eyes. "Just stop, just stop."

Carlos laid down next to her, wrapped his arms around the smaller girl.

"Just stop, just stop," she begged as she clung to him and wept desperately for the father who should have loved her. "Just stop."

"I'm not going anywhere amor, I'm gonna be here for as long as you need me," Carlos soothed, kissing Sayaka's forehead.

Later on that night Ororo and Beast stood in front of the observation window of the room where the two teenagers slept.

"These poor children will face such dilemmas in their lives," Ororo said, sipping her tea.

"It's good that they're creating the kinds of bonds they'll need to weather the coming storm," Hank said to his teammate.

"Jean says that there's something coming. Something far greater than we can imagine, something more devastating than we've ever faced before," Ororo said, shivering despite the warmth of the house. "She says that we cannot hope to beat it without these kids' help."

"Then we must do everything in our power to prepare them for whatever lies ahead," Hank replied, wrapping a comforting arm around her. "We must help our kids, our X-Kids to do what is best."

The next morning everyone sat around the breakfast table, bleary-eyed and exhausted. None of the kids were eating much, and the anguish pouring off of them had driven Logan away. But even he couldn't get free of it because Sparrow, in her wolf form, doggedly followed him, comforted by the way he smelled, by how much he understood an animal's nature.

Carlos on the other hand was irritated and snappish, which everyone tolerated until he snapped at Dinah, who promptly strung him up by his heels in front of the entire household before grabbing her bacon and leaving the table in a huff. Jesse hadn't even bothered to come down to breakfast, and Glenn just sat by quietly with the tactics homework they had been given, working on a strategy until he blew up.

"This isn't fair Mr. Summers! You've made it impossible to beat Evil Mutant Bob. There's no unguarded way into this complex, and the target is too well protected. Besides, we're never going to be in this situation so what does it matter? People don't do this! People don't just kidnap someone else because of some stupid reason to torment them! It's inhumane and it's not something any of us are ever going to have to face so why bother!" Glenn raved, his massive black leathery wings stretching out, making him look even bigger.

"You done Glenn?" Scott asked as Glenn came to a halt. "Why don't you gather everyone together in the living room in fifteen minutes. I'll go get Sparrow. It's important that we all talk."

Glenn turned angrily away from the table in search of Jesse and Dinah.

Carlos got up quietly, put his dishes in the sink, and then left the room in angry silence.

Fifteen minutes later had the kids gathered in the living room with the exception of Sayaka who laid in her bed in the med lab.

"I think we all need to talk about what happened yesterday," Scott said.

"I think it sucks what Sayaka's father did to her," Dinah put in angrily. "She's his blood and he just turned on her because she didn't fit some cookie cutter ideal he had."

"How did your parents react when they found out you were a mutant?" Scott asked.

"My father probably would've beaten me with a tire iron had I let him get his feet under him," Dinah replied viciously. "But he hit me before he found out I was a mutant. Sometime between when he left and when he got back, he started hating women. But this isn't about my grief, this is about Sayaka."

"No," Emma said. "This is about all of you, and all of us."

"What on earth are you talking about?" Carlos demanded.

"Many humans hate and fear mutants, it's not a secret Carlos. This conversation is about coming to terms with the very real fact that our presence isn't always going to be welcome, and that we will have to fight for our place on this earth just as humans did. And that we will face hardships along the way, and some of those hardships are going to come to us at a very dear price," Emma said primly. "You need to accept that there are going to be people doing inhumane things to mutants and humans, and mutants who do inhumane things to humans and mutants. This is why we exist, to try and fight for a more tolerant world."

This sobered all of them.

"My sister, Tina, when she found out I was a mutant she didn't bat an eye, just told me that I had to come here. Literally gave me all of the money she had been saving just so that I could get a train ticket to come here. And when my father found out, he told me that he loved me, and that I'd be welcome at home anytime I needed to go back. That no matter what we were family, and nothing else mattered," Carlos said.

"My aunt and uncle were the same way," Glenn reflected. "When I got my wings my whole town seemed to come after me, but Aunt Mable gave me the keys to their truck and told me to come here, that my cousin Kitty would be here. And even when it turned out that she wasn't, Professor Xavier still took me in."

"What about you Sparrow? What happened when your parents found out," Bobby asked, crouching down next to the slender blonde. She looked nervously into his brown eyes for a moment.

"N-Nothing. . . I snuck out of the house that morning and took out my horse for a ride through the cow paddock. . . I startled a grizzly bear on my ride, and when he reared up, my horse spooked, and I got knocked off of him. The bear went to swipe me, and before I knew what had happened I was a sparrow. I left my clothes behind and flew over the paddock, over my horse and the dairy cows we raised until I landed on the kitchen windowsill. My father was there, screaming at the television about mutants, about how-" Sparrow paused.

"It's okay," Bobby said encouraging. "We're all friends here, you can say anything you need too without being afraid."

"He said he thought that Professor Xavier ought to be burned," Sparrow said quietly, staring at her hands, unaccustomed to all of the attention that was on her. "I knew I couldn't tell my father that I was a mutant, so I started flying east, away from home. When I did get here, I landed on Professor Xavier's headboard, spent the day with him. He made me feel at home here. This is the closest I've ever felt to having a family. And if someone tries to threaten that or take that away from me, then I'm prepared to stand up and defend it. I don't know how or when. But I'll do what I need to to make sure that it stays safe."

There was a moment of silence, and Jesse's head snapped up and he stared at the younger girl. Saw her freckles stand out on her blanched white face as she stared at her hands.

"Sparrow's right. We are a family," Carlos said, looking as though he were coming to a decision. "I have a family back home that loves me, accepts me for everything that I am. But I also wasn't safe back home. And here, with people I know, teachers I respect and care about, friends that I love. This is something worth fighting for."

"Me too. My Uncle Gabe taught me that a true man stands up for what matters the most to him, and he protects his family," Glenn said, his voice wobbling. "I'm still learning how to be a man, and I'm lucky that I have so many role models here to look up too. But I'm gonna do my best to be the kind of man my Uncle Gabe wanted me to be, and that means fighting for this and for all of you."

Carlos wrapped a friendly arm around Glenn and the two boys grinned shakily at each other.

"Then it's settled, we've all got each others back," Dinah said. "Oh my goodness, I love all of you guys!" She wrapped her arms around her friends.

"Next week you begin training in the Danger Room, twice weekly sessions and extended sessions on the weekends," Logan said gruffly. "It seems like Sayaka's situation hit you all pretty hard, so go, be with your friend. Because the closer all of you are, the better off you'll be when it really matters."

"Well then, let's kick it," Dinah said cheekily, then recoiled at the dark look Logan gave her.


	17. XKids: Besting Evil Mutant Bob

A few days later Logan stood at a second floor window staring down at the lawn where the kids were milling around in a somewhat controlled fashion.

"Hey Logan, Scott was looking for you, said he wanted your help on his -what are you looking at?" Bobby asked, walking into the library and joining his teammate at the window. "Oh wow, that is just precious."

Fifteen minutes later, the men were still standing there and Scott walked into the room in some old clothes, oil stains on his shirt and jeans.

"Bobby, I asked you to send down Logan fifteen minutes ago- what are you looking at?" He asked.

"Come here Slim, you gotta see this," Logan said, moving aside to that Scott could look down on his students.

"What are they-are they rehearsing their tactics homework?" Scott asked in astonishment.

"They've been helping each other with it for the past two hours, everyone has their own variations that they play out with each other and it helps work out the flaws," Logan said proudly.

"That's-that's-brilliant," Scott said. He watched as Sayaka made her slow way around the perimeter. "How has Saya been in your combat classes?"

"Angry, she takes out what happened on herself," Logan said. "I'm gonna give it a few more days, then I'm gonna take her out to run. Work out the hurt she's feeling."

"And you Bobby? Notice anything?" Scott asked, watching as Glenn started to make a bee-line for Saya; they could hear him yelling "STRANGER DANGER!" as he ran.

"She's been quiet, but all of her homework has been spot on, she's ages ahead of the rest of the class, and at the rate she's going I'm going to have to pass her onto Hank by Christmas time," Bobby said, clearly impressed with his young pupil's progress.

They watched Glenn bowl into Sayaka, the two of them fell over and they watched the kids laughing as they lay in the grass.

"You gonna need any help with this bunch for their first run in the Danger Room?" Scott asked the Canadian man.

"Nah, we'll be fine," Logan grumped.

That Saturday the kids were handed their uniforms, and everyone stared at them stupidly.

"There is no way I'm wearing that," Saya said, staring at the black leather uniform.

"Absolutely not," Dinah agreed.

Sparrow had gotten dressed without a word and left her older classmates to stare at their uniforms.

"Maybe it's so bad," Dinah mused a moment later.

"It's a black leather catsuit, it is that bad," Saya said.

"What's taking you girls so long in there?" Logan asked from the other side of the door.

"We don't wanna wear these uniforms," Dinah said from where and Saya sat on a bench together.

"Tough kid, it's either that or yellow spandex," Logan growled.

"I'm not comfortable wearing this," Saya said. "I'm too big for black leather."

"Clothing shouldn't be this tight," Dinah said.

"We don't exactly look like Miss Frost. I'm sure if I had her body, I'd flaunt it too, but I don't, so I won't," Saya said. "Why can't we just wear sweats?"

"Girls those uniforms aren't leather, their made from a fiber that Hank created, their designed to stand up to high levels of heat and cold, extreme friction, they'll protect you from most forms of ammunition, and they get the sweat off your skin. Put 'em on and get your asses out here or I'll put them on you myself," Logan said gruffly.

"Can he do that?" Saya whispered to Dinah.

"I dunno, I don't really wanna find out," she whispered back, then. "Fine, we'll be out in ten minutes."

"Make it five," Logan grumped.

"It'll take ten minutes to get into this without a tub of cooking lard," Dinah called, taking her costume off the hanger.

"We'll see you in ten," Sayaka said, heaving herself to her feet.

Taking the costume off of her hanger, she unzipped it and gingerly began pulling it over herself.

"I'm not sure how I feel about this," Sayaka grumbled darkly while Dinah sat down on the bench. Shoving her legs into the pants, she fell over backwards off the bench trying to get them on.

"I-ugh-think-gah-we should-urg-lodge a-ungh-complaint," Dinah groaned, heaving herself to her feet and zipping up the bodice.

The two young women gingerly approached the mirrors.

"Wow," Saya said. "We look hot."

"Eat your heart out Miss Frost," Dinah said, gazing into the mirror at their transformed figures.

They each wore their uniforms, both of them had enough differences to distinguish from each others. Dinah's had shoulder epaulets and darting that tucked in the bodice beneath her bosom, the top flaring from her narrow waist down onto her wide hips and melting into her thick thighs, before fitting under the granny boots she wore. Saya's was a halter top with twin silver 'X's in rings that connected the straps to her bodice. The pants were bootcut, and hugged her figure, flattering her slightly hefty frame nicely.

"Let's kick it," Sayaka said, and the two women turned and, arms wrapped around each other, went out to the hall where the rest of their classmates waited for them.

"You know boys," Saya said as they walked into the ready room. "The only difference between you and us; we make this look good."

Logan turned away from the kids and punched in the access code on the door and then lead them into the massive space.

"This is the Danger Room. It packs a whole lot of heat, from automated melee weaponry to live ammunition. It can simulate real scenarios, everything from rescue situations to combat. Since this is your first time out, your goal is simple. Computer, load training simulation 14561," Logan said as the room transformed into a large grassy field with a river running lazily through it. Trees and bushes dotted the landscapes. "Capture the flag at the top of that hill, and avoid getting tagged. If one of you gets tagged, you have to go back and start over again. No body gets left behind here, got it?"

"This is nothing like Evil Mutant Bob," Dinah muttered.

"Whose Evil Mutant Bob?" Logan asked her.

"What? Oh, Mr. Summers has us design these combat and rescue tactics against some super villain he made up named Evil Mutant Bob. I dunno where he comes up with this stuff though, seems a little wonky to me," Dinah explained before going to join her teammates.

"I say we do a walkthrough, figure out the lay of the land then formulate a strategy," Saya suggested.

"What's the big deal? It's just a field," Jesse said.

"Nothing is ever just a field in this place," Dinah said, humor lighting her grey eyes.

"Maybe Sparrow could do a fly over," Carlos suggested.

"And be naked? No way," Sparrow argued.

"Okay, then I guess we're just going to wade on in," Glenn said, flexing his wings.

Taking each others hands, they warily took a step forward.

"Follow the yellow brick road, follow the yellow brick road," Dinah murmured rhythmically.

They edged their way across the field while Logan looked on, amused at their wary progress.

When they reached the river they stopped and leaned over, peering into the depths. Then they looked back at Logan who looked on, not seeming to be either bored or interested by their progress.

"Dinah, can you maybe lift us over the river?" Glenn asked hopefully.

"Umm, do I look like Mrs. Grey-Summers Glenn? I don't have anywhere near that kind of control," Dinah replied, irritated by his assumption. "Maybe you could fly us over?"

"I-you're right Dinah, I could fly you over," Glenn said.

"Okay," Dinah said as Glenn came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her. She caught herself leaning into his muscular chest just a little too eagerly before she caught herself and mentally dumped a bucket of cold water over her head.

He lifted her up and flew her across the river before placing her down on the opposite bank. As he was flying back a metal claw sprang up out of the ground and grabbed Dinah by the ankle. Shrieking, she kicked it with her other foot as hard as she could, and a loud buzzer sounded.

"Okay everyone, back to the start," Logan called as the kids made their way back to the beginning.

"What if I fly everyone over?" Glenn asked, running a hand through his close cropped blonde hair.

Everyone turned to face their tutor who just looked up at them. "What? You gotta learn to think for yourselves," he said gruffly, crossing his arms and leaning against the wall.

So Glenn tried flying everyone over one by one, but when that didn't work either, they sat down at the beginning of the course and gazed at it glumly.

"We could just make a run for it," Carlos said.

"I can't swim," Jesse said.

"You can hold onto me and I'll help you get across hombre," Carlos offered.

"No, I mean I literally can't go into the water. I'm made of fire, remember?" He said pointedly.

"Oh, right," Carlos said.

"I think we all charge it, if Jesse get's a push I can lift him over the water," Dinah mused carefully.

"No Dinah, you're not ready for that yet," Logan warned.

"But-" She started.

"I've watched you fight, you don't have the upper body strength yet to pull something like that off," Logan said gruffly. "Ugh, stop planning and just do something, all of you. In a real battle situation you won't have time to sit around and think, now go and get the damned flag!"

"But Mr. Logan-" Saya started.

Logan launched himself out of his chair and the distinct _*snickt*_ from his claws sliced through the air.

They kids turned and started running across the field, startled into motion, Carlos whipped up a tornado that blew Jesse and Saya across the river while Sparrow became an eagle, slicing through the air. Glenn flew over everyone while Dinah raced across the ground and threw herself over the river, using her telekinesis to keep her going a few more feet before she smashed into the ground. Rolling she pushed herself to her feet as everyone because the race for the flag, dodging the little metal claws that tried to catch them up along the way.

The last few feet there seemed to be a collective thought process as everyone collided into the flag, snapping the pole as they landed in a heap on the ground. And then Jesse's charred hand reached up out of the knot of bodies holding up the flag.

"Computer, end simulation," Logan said, rubbing the bridge of his nose. "It was a good first session. A little haphazard, not terribly coordinated, but good. We are going to switch off though, combat sessions and gymnastics classes. All of you need the practice. Okay, everyone hit the showers. Dinah, Saya, can I talk to you too for a second?"

The class filed out as the two girls walked over to where their instructor stood.

"Look, I hate having to do this. But I'd like the both of you to start weight training and working out on a regular basis. Both of you need to get back into shape," Logan said, trying to break it to them gently.

Dinah and Saya glanced at each other. "You're right," Sayaka said slowly. "We could stand to lose some weight, get back into shape. It would be good for us."

"Would the two of you mind working on a plan?" Logan asked gently, and the two girls shook their heads.

That night in the girls' common room, Dinah and Sayaka held each others feet while they took turns doing sit ups, huffing and puffing while Sparrow watched on, mirth lighting her distinctive eyes.


	18. XKids: The Emergence of Tut'Kuman

"Scott, just who is Evil Mutant Bob?" Jean asked as they got ready for bed.

"What?" He asked from the adjoining bathroom.

"Evil Mutant Bob, who is he?" Jean asked, pulling her nightgown over her head.

"Oh, he's nothing, just something I came up with for the kids," Scott explained, pulling on his pajama bottoms while Jean turned down the bed.

"They keep talking about him in class, and Dinah mutters darkly about him in our sessions. Even Logan doesn't know what to do with it," Jean said.

"It's nothing, just a piece of fluff. . . based on a few people we've known over the years," Scott finally conceded.

"Ah, here it is, so tell me, a touch of Magneto? A little Mystique?" Jean asked, climbing into bed with her husband.

"More like a touch of Mojo, a little bit of Mister Sinister, a nasty slash of Sabretooth, with a little bit of the Scarlett Witch thrown in for that extra charm," Scott said, and the couple laughed softly as they settled into sleep.

And several floors away, while Dinah slept, she dreamt.

She dreamt that she was standing in a ring, sunk into the earth. The walls were too steep to climb, and kept crumbling under her hands every time she tried. She knew that there was something in there with her, but the ring she was in seemed to go on for miles.

So Dinah walked, the further she went, the wetter the ground got until she was ankle deep in mud, the hem of her long white nightgown was brown. But she forced herself onwards.

Eventually she came to a place where the ground was paved in stones. It was about waist height on her, and she had to work to pull herself up, her toes struggling to catch purchase in the dense earth. As she started to walk on the paved stones, she started to see torches at intervals, and between then were massive murals covered in depictions of ritual hunts, virgin sacrifices, and human enslavements, all of the perversity of man.

And as she continued to ponder these murals, she became aware of a scent. A deep earthy loamy scent. And as she drew nearer, the sound of hooves scraping against stone. But she couldn't stop herself from walking, her mud-caked feet carrying her towards the awful scent and primal scraping that made her bones vibrate.

After a few moments of walking, an enormous pacing creature came to face Dinah. From fifty feet away, she could see it was an enormous bull, it's horns glinting in the torch light, gold and horn spiraling together, and the terrible _knowing_ in it's eyes. It was enormous, 8 feet tall at the shoulder and solid muscle. It's body was a deep deep black, and showed the milky way on it's gleaming coat.

"I am Tut'kuman," the bull said. "I live inside of you. We are one."

The bull began to charge, but Dinah's feet were stuck to the ground, she could only stand there and watch the terrible horns hurtling towards her, and just as the bull slammed into her, she woke up in her room. Nervously tucking herself more deeply into her bed, she laid awake until morning.


	19. XKids: Tut'Kuman and the Mourning Doves

**Author's note: I'm having a blast writing this story, and I hope everyone is enjoying reading it as much as I am writing it. I have no idea what's going to happen next, but I'm really starting to like these kids. I hope you enjoy their antics as much as I do. Please R&R, I 3 feedback!**

Dinah didn't go to breakfast the next morning, nor did she attend class. She just locked her door and hid inside of her bedroom with the curtains drawn. It wasn't long before she attracted the attention of her teachers, despite Saya's determined efforts to protect her friend.

"Dinah, you have to come to class, come on," Scott called, knocking on her door.

"Come on kid, you've got class," Logan growled, but still no answer. "Should I break down the door?"

"Let me try first," Jean said, coming up behind the other men. "Dinah, we're all worried about you. Why don't you come out so we can talk?"

Nothing.

"Dinah, I'm coming in now," Jean called, using her telepathy to unlock the door, she walked into the girl's room and closed the door behind her, relocking it.

Jean gazed at the young woman cowering in the corner of her bed, biting her thumbnail and staring unseeing at the bed covers. Lamps, trinket boxes, and books floated around the room as though gravity had ceased to exist.

"Dinah, what's the matter?" Jean asked softly, slowly approaching the girl. "What happened?"

Dinah slowly turned her head, gazing up at her teacher out of troubled grey eyes that had gone from their usually clear demeanor to stormy and dark.

With a gasp she threw herself off the bed and into her teachers arms, holding her tight.

"What am I? What's happening to me?" She begged to know as Jean eased the two of them onto the floor. Jean stroked Dinah's thick hair, soothing her. "I'm not alone inside my head Jean."

"It's natural for developing telepaths to hear other peoples voices, we worked on this together, remember? We did it in class the other day," Jean said softly.

"No, not outside voices, inside my head. Jean. . . who is Tut'Kuman?" Dinah asked from where her face was buried in Jean's lap.

"What happened last night?" Jean asked softly.

"I had a dream about a giant bull with golden horns. . . You could see the stars from the sky in his body. He said is name was Tut'Kuman. He said that we were one. Then he charged me," Dinah said. "I feel like I'm going crazy, like so much is happening inside of me and I don't know how to reconcile it."

"I think perhaps we should go and see Professor Xavier," Jean said softly, and Dinah sat up, wiping her nose with her hand and nodded.

As the two women walked through the house, the phone rang and Bobby answered it. Sticking his head out of the kitchen as they came down he called out. "Dinah, it's for you. Someone named Grant Wilshire?"

"I need to take this," Dinah said to Jean who nodded and sat down on the stairs to wait with Bobby while she answered the phone.

"Hello?" She asked.

"Dinah? How are you old girl?" Grant Wilshire called over the phone.

"Grampy? Oh my goodness, how are you? How is everyone?" Dinah asked, sitting down on a stool.

"We're all fine. Listen Dinah, I wouldn't be calling like this, but it's about Momma," Grampy said. The only 'Momma' at Ma Wheaton's was Dinah's mother, and everyone knew it. "She's nearing her end, it's her heart, we don't think she has much time left."

"What about Mandy and Joey?" Dinah asked softly.

"They've been staying with me. They don't really understand yet what's going on Dinah. I thought it best to call you," Grampy replied warily.

"No, of course, I understand. . . . Grampy? Is my father still there?" Dinah asked nervously.

"Dinah, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but your father took one look at Momma, called her something nasty and bailed. We haven't seen him since. And if he shows up, we'll run him off, but you come home now and take care of Momma. She's been asking for you," Grampy said.

"Okay Grampy, I'll be there as soon as I can," Dinah said softly before hanging up the phone.

Walking back into the foyer, she stopped in front of Jean. "I'm sorry, but we're gonna have to do this when we get back. It's Momma. . . it's gonna be her time soon, and I need to go home and see her," Dinah said. "I need to make arrangements for Mandy and Joey to go to a family member."

"Dinah, I'm not sure that's such a good idea," Jean said carefully.

"Momma needs me, I did her wrong leaving the way that I did, and I need to go home and make it right," Dinah said firmly, her Kansas accent growing thicker with her anger.

"Alright, but take Logan with you, just in case. You're still a minor after all," Jean said.

Two hours later the two of them were in the X-Copter heading for Ma Wheaton's.

They landed in the woods and took their time covering up the helicopter before they began walking. Dinah set a pace that was dogged even for Logan, and when they reached the trailer park a mile away, Dinah broke into a run. Logan followed her closely until she ran up the stairs of a chrome plated trailer from the 1950's. Logan sat down on a lawn chair and pulled out a cigar and started smoking. With fifteen minutes two other men had joined him with their own lawn chairs and began filling him in on the park gossip.

Dinah ran inside the trailer and headed towards the back. Bursting into her mother's bedroom, she crawled up onto the queen sized bed that her mother took up most of and nestled against the warmth of her sleeping mother.

"Momma," she whispered. "Momma, I came home."

Her mother's hazel eyes fluttered open and she smiled at her daughter. "You came back to me, oh baby, my baby came back to me. Grampy said you were a mutant, that you went to some school in New York, is that true? Are you a mutant baby?" Momma asked, not seeming to care either way.

"Yes Momma, I'm a mutant, lifted 5 trailers including our own last month when Daddy came back," Dinah answered.

"You're father is a fool," Momma said. "I can't believe what I let myself become over that man."

"You can change Momma, this doesn't have to be the end," Dinah said.

"Doctor says my heart's too weak to change now Dinah. It's okay though. I'm ready to go and see my brother Joseph, and my own momma. I'm ready Dinah. I'm ready to go home," Momma said, stroking her daughters hair.

"We're not ready for you to leave Momma," Dinah murmured into her mother's neck.

"Dinah, you are my strongest. That's why I named you Dinah, after Jacob and Leah's daughter. Because I knew you would be judged, and I knew you would rise above it. You don't need me anymore Dinah, you're so strong. You made it all the way to New York without my help. You found a place where you belonged and you got the help you needed without any help from me. You are going to go so far baby. And I love you, for all that you are, and everything that you can do," Momma said comfortingly. "Now go and get Mandy and Joey and bring them here."

Walking out into the dazzling sunlight, Dinah smiled at Logan who was sitting in a cloud of cigar smoke with two of her neighbors listening to stories about tornados. She walked across the dusty ground and knocked on Grampy Wilshire's door.

When the old battle roughened man answered the door, he swept Dinah into a giant bear hug.

Walking back towards the trailer, Grampy stopped and stared at Logan.

"Grant?" Logan asked, getting up.

"Logan? You old dog, what are you doing here?" Grant asked, pulling Logan into a tight hug.

"Helping Dinah out, I work at her school," Logan replied, inviting the Grampy to sit with them.

"You too know each other?" Dinah asked, holding each sibling against a hip.

"We fought together in World War II kid," Logan said before turning to the other man.

Shaking her head, Dinah went into the trailer with her siblings, and they all climbed back into bed with Momma.

They talked late into the night, even after Mandy and Joey had fallen asleep, Dinah and Momma laid awake, joking about tornados survived and the beauty pageants Momma had put Dinah in as a child, and the pet pig they had once had. Late into the night they fell asleep.

Dinah dreamt again.

This time she was in an enormous bull ring facing Tut'Kuman. They circled each other warily.

"Let me go Dinah! My time is coming! Let me go!" Tut'Kuman roared.

"I don't know what you're talking about! I don't know what's happening! Why are you doing this? Who are you?" Dinah wailed.

"I am the-"

Dinah woke up suddenly early in the morning by her mother's labored breathing and then a strangled gurgling followed by a deep sigh. Dinah woke up her brother and sister and carried them over to Grampy's who took them bleary eyed into his arms, and sadly watched Dinah walk away.

Back in the trailer she woke up Logan.

"It's Momma, she's passed," Dinah said, curling up on the floor, she howled with pain and sorrow, and sound that was too savage for a human throat to produce. "I don't know what to do."

"We need to get her out of the trailer. Do you know what she wanted?" Logan asked, careful to tread gently. He sat on the floor next to her, rubbing her back, trying to sooth her.

"Momma wanted to be cremated. But no one's got money like that. . . Unless we just do it ourselves," Dinah said through the shock of her grief.

"So then that's what we'll do," Logan said gruffly.

They went around making preparations, and everyone hopped in to help Momma. Logan cut out the wall of the trailer, and it took 8 men to roll Momma and her bed onto the bed of a pickup truck. Then they slowly made their way out to a large field 100 miles from anywhere, and performed a service and rites on Momma before the pyre was lit. When it was done, Grampy approached Dinah with an old creased envelop in one scarred hand.

"Dinah, Momma wanted me to give you this after she passed," Grampy said, handing her a sealed envelop. Ripping it open, she found it was a will, and she sat down in the dirt.

"Mandy, Joey, it looks like places for you were held in trust at a private school in upstate New York, in honor of Momma's brother Joseph, he was a teacher there before he passed at the Middlebrook Academy. According to this there's a preschool program there. It's just outside of Brewster. That's the next town over from my school you know," Dinah said, trying to hold it together. "It's paid up through high school. And your official custody is going to go to Aunty Margo and Uncle Paul in Brewster New York. You probably don't remember them, Aunty Margo and Momma went to school together."

After packing up the trailer, and many tearful goodbyes, they headed for home.

When they arrived it was late, and Mandy and Joey were asleep in Dinah's arms. Putting them to sleep in her own bed, she went back and began moving boxes up into the living room on the first floor. She picked through them, looking at photos from her childhood, and when Glenn found her, he silently held her while she wept.

Glenn finally managed to coax Dinah into sleep, and almost instantly, she was plunged back into The Dream.

"You dare think you can escape my wrath?" Tut'Kuman roared. They were in a dark shadowy dungeon, and chains hung from the ceiling.

"Please, tell me, who are you?" Dinah begged. "I don't understand what's going on!"

"I am the beast that is the reason for your wrath. The minotaur put me in this dungeon, he has been guarding me ever since. But his time is drawing near, and soon there will be nothing left of your keepers and guardian," Tut'Kuman pronounced.

"What minotaur? What keepers? What guardians? I don't understand," Dinah wailed.

"The Phoenix knows. Ask her, the Phoenix knows everything," Tut'Kamon said, and then Dinah snapped awake, not knowing who or what the Phoenix was. She rested her head against Glenn's chest, her small hand was held in his large one, and soon she fell back asleep.

Early in the morning, Saya came in with Mandy and Joey.

"They knocked on my door asking for you," Saya said softly, stifling a yawn.

"Thanks Sayaka," Dinah said quietly.

"You doing okay," Saya asked, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, and Dinah nodded mutely. Climbing over Glenn, she sat down in a wing-backed chair in front of the empty fireplace and gathered her siblings into her lap.

"Where's Momma? Why did we have to come here?" Joey asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Guys, Momma passed away. And you had to come here and live with me," Dinah said sadly, aware of Ororo and Remy coming to stand in the living room doorway.

"Where did Momma go?" Mandy asked.

"Momma went to heaven, and I'm afraid she won't be coming back," Dinah said, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"Why not?" Joey asked.

"Because that's just how it works," Dinah said, holding her siblings while the three of them wept.

Ororo and Remy took her siblings for some breakfast while Jean came in and sat down with her.

"How are you doing?" She asked gently.

"I've been better," Dinah said huskily. "The dreams have gotten worse. He said I had to find the Phoenix, that they would have the answers. How am I supposed to do that?"

"Dinah, I need to tell you something," Jean said carefully. "The night you had the psychic attack and blacked out, I went into your mind to try and extinguish the fires. . . I told you about the twins."

"You said they said they were my keepers," Dinah said wearily, wanting to sleep without dreaming so desperately it made her heart ache. She wanted to lose herself in sleep.

"They said that you weren't entirely human beneath the skin Dinah. That you had an animal's sense about fire," Jean said, waiting while the girl took in the information as though Jean had smacked her across the face. "Would you like me to continue?"

Dinah nodded mutely, and Jean sighed.

"They said you were born with a caul on your face," Jean said softly.

"Some midwives believe it denotes a second sight," Dinah said, filling in the blanks was an automatic response for her.

"Yes. They said that you knew things before anyone else did," Jean said quietly.

"It was always little things. A letter, a phone call," Dinah sighed.

"Your keepers took me to a place in the woods, where a minotaur was bound to two stone posts by golden bonds. He said he was your guardian. He said that he protected the woman, that he had always protected the woman. He said that you were special. And that the Phoenix would have to help you awaken your latent powers. He seemed worried about you Dinah," Jean said.

"It doesn't matter, I don't know who or what the Phoenix is. I wouldn't know where to start looking. A phoenix is a legend, how does one find a legend?" Dinah moaned, pillowing her face in her hands.

"Dinah. . . I am the Phoenix," Jean said softly. "But I don't know how to awaken your powers either. I don't know what to do."

Dinah's wild grey eyes stared into Jean's own green ones. "Tut'Kuman wants to take my place in the world Jean. I will not let that happen. We have to find a way to awaken my abilities together. I don't know who the Minotaur is, but his words feel right to me, somehow. And I'm not going to stand down because of a riddle. We'll find the answer. We have too."

"Dinah-" Jean started.

"Please, I lost Momma. I'm being terrorized by an enormous bull. I don't know what to do, and I can't fall apart because of Mandy and Joey. And all you can tell me is the only way to beat that bull is to awaken my powers. If you're the Phoenix then just burn me. Burn away all the sin Mrs. Grey-Summers. Just do it. Because I'm beside myself, and I want Momma, and no matter what I do, she's gone forever. And nothing can change that," Dinah said, turning she left the room, left Jean sitting among the boxes filled with childhood memories.

Dinah did her best to pack her brother and sister up before they were picked up, but it became obvious that Dinah wasn't fit for anything, so Sparrow packed them up while Saya held her friend.

When they came for them, Dinah clung to her brother and sister tightly. "I love you two more than you'll ever know." Then to her aunt and uncle. "I'll call weekly, and stop by as much as I can."

"You're always welcome Dinah," they had replied, and held her tight.

When her family had gone, Dinah curled up in a ball and allowed grief to swallow her whole.


	20. Xkids: The Final Embrace of Tut'Kuman

**Author's note: Sorry it's been so long since I last updated! And on a cliff hanger, I know, I'm sorry! I'm back, school's slightly more manageable now. Hope you like it!**

Several months passed, and life became more easy for both Dinah and Sayaka to bear. Despite the loss of her mother, and Sayaka's father's reaction to her mutation, they became stronger, they shed the weight and got back into shape. And DInah and Jean continued to work on figuring out an answer to the continuing terror of Tut'Kuman.

It was close to Christmas time, and Glenn and Carlos had gone home for the holidays, and even Sayaka went to stay with her brother and his boyfriend in Manhattan. Leaving Dinah, Sparrow, and Jesse alone in the mansion with Logan, Hank, Ororo, Jean and Scott. The rest of the team having gone home or on various vacations away from the mansion.

Sparrow and Jesse had started spending more and more time together over the past few months, and they walked around the grounds in thick winter jackets while Dinah napped and read intermittently in an out of the way sitting room. Ororo and Jean baked sugar cookies in the kitchen, laughing and talking like the old friends they were. Logan meditated quietly in his room while Hank and Scott played chess in the living room.

It was a quiet afternoon, about a week before Christmas. Everyone was enjoying the lull, even Dinah got some respite from her dreams allowing her to grab a few hours of much needed sleep here and there. Everyone was happy, and each night they gathered in the living room to chat and spend time together, growing closer as the family they really were. Every one took turns that week making dinner, even the students. The dishes varied, some were sophisticated, others were hearty, and others were good-natured attempts that inevitably had someone ordering in pizza.

And all of that changed one night. Logan, Hank and Scott had all gone out for a guys night on the town, and Ororo was on her way out to an antique store several hours away to pick up a gift for her cousin in Africa. Jean was home alone with the kids, it was late, and everyone was snug in their beds. Dinah, for her part, had been discovered by Logan at dinner time, and had been left to sleep.

Perhaps that was a bad move, because The Dream came with such a terrible force that Dinah jumped to her feet in her sleep, slamming into walls as she ran through the mansion screaming until she finally slammed into the front door, screaming with her hands out in front of her, an effort to protect herself.

In her dream she was backed into a corner by Tut'Kuman, his sharp horns glinted in the soft flickering torch light.

"Let me go!" The great bull screamed, the stars in his coat flickering with his anger.

"I don't know how! I don't know what to do!" Dinah screamed back, her eyes shut tight in her fear.

"Bring me the Phoenix! I must have the Phoenix!" Tut'Kuman demanded, his great hoof pawed at the stone floor.

"I don't know where the Phoenix is! I don't know how to find her!" Dinah shrieked.

Meanwhile Jean rolled out of bed, ran through the house for the front door, towards Dinah's desperate screams. She ran to the girl, embracing her as she dove into her mind.

Running through the brush, Dinah's twin keepers ran ahead of her to the trees, and Jean fled down the stairs to the Minotaur who struggled against his bonds.

"Release me! I must go to her! The time has come to slay Tut'Kuman! Take my axe! Release me!" The Minotaur screamed.

Jean lifted the heavy battle axe, using her telepathy to help her lift it, she severed the bonds, and then they were off. Running desperately through the trees, jumping over creeks and wading through mud until they stood in a clearing surrounding a circular stone building without any windows or doors.

"You must make the entrance Phoenix," the Minotaur said.

Jean looked from the Minotaur to the building and back again.

"Trust yourself," the Minotaur stated baldly.

Jean took a deep breath and focussed on the building. It was made of nothing she had ever encountered before. Leaning into it she willed the stones to move, but nothing budged. The only thing that shifted was something deep inside of herself. She followed that shifting, followed it to the source of her Phoenix power. Jean felt that power saturate her bones, it was chillingly clean, and gave her a terrible clarity. Jean carried it with a ruthless control, refusing to let it overwhelmed her.

Then she focused her attention on the building, blowing the stones to nothingness. Only a staircase that lead down into the earth sat inside the building. The pair ran for the stairs, down down down they went. Deeper into the earth, they seemed to go on forever. When they reached the bottom floor, they could hear Dinah screaming, begging for more time.

"Phoenix, when the time is right, focus your power on my battle axe, it is the only way," the Minotaur said.

Phoenix and the Minotaur started walking towards Dinah's screams. They moved with a studied purpose into the stone ring.

"Tut'Kuman, you asked for the Phoenix, here I am!" Jean said, flames wrapping around her.

"Finally, my justice is due!" Tut'Kuman screamed, running at her.

"NOW!" The Minotaur yelled, and Jean threw everything that she had into the axe that connected with a sickening force. Fire and psi-blasts filled the room engulfing everyone in a pillar of flame.

Dinah, who was crouched behind Tut'Kuman, was caught in the worst of the blast with the great starred bull, and as Tut'Kuman deteriorated, he slammed back into Dinah. Pressing against her chest and belly, her body began to absorb the monstrous creature. Dinah took Tut'Kuman into her body, choking and shaking as his bones melded with hers, as his power added her to her own. His pain weakened mind yielded to Dinah's will, her strength devoured his, and then, Tut'Kuman was no more.

Dinah collapsed against the hard stone floor unconscious, and Jean, who had been thrown backwards along with the Minotaur sat dazedly on the ground, her legs splayed in her exhaustion as the Phoenix force faded away inside of her.

The Minotaur was the first to reach Dinah, he lifted her off the ground. Her battle torn clothes fell away, and Dinah laid nude in the great Minotaur's arms. He stared down at her in disbelief, gold bands swirled and wrapped around her body in beautiful twining shapes. Turning, he walked across the floor towards where Jean sat.

"Thank you Phoenix, you have done a good thing, releasing her power like this. Tut'Kuman is no more," the Minotaur said.

"She's covered in his markings though," Jean said, shakily getting to her feet.

"When your power hit the two of them, Dinah absorbed Tut'Kuman. He left his markings on her body because he added his strength to hers. But her mind is much stronger that Tut'Kuman could ever have hoped to be, and he simply splintered into nothing," the Minotaur said.

"Where are you taking her?" Jean asked.

"I'm taking her to rest. Do not worry Phoenix, when she is ready, she will return to you," the Minotaur said, and then he turned and walked away with Dinah in his arms.

Jean stood there in the dark cold deep beneath the earth and shivered for a moment before withdrawing from Dinah's mind.

When she connected with the real world, she was aware of Scott, Logan and Hank milling around them. Jean gazed down at the limp weight of the girl who slumped against her.

"Jean, what happened?" Scott asked his wife, leaning her head back so they he could look into her eyes.

"Dinah, she-she evolved," Jean said breathlessly.

"Is she alright?" Scott asked as Hank gently turned the girl over, he studied the gold bands that wrapped around her arms and neck, disappearing under the neckline of her shirt.

"She's unconscious, might even be in a coma," Hank said, brushing her hair out of her eyes. He picked her up while Scott helped Jean get to her feet.

Down in the med lab Hank hooked Dinah up to several machines to monitor her brain activity. He did scans on her body, watching for any internal damage or organ failure. Finding nothing, he sat back to the watch the machine read out information about her brain function.

Logan walked in carrying a cup of coffee for his comrade. "What's the verdict?" Logan growled.

"She's in a coma, but there are unique moments of activity that aren't occurring in the parts of her brain and nervous system that monitor her body's functions. They're happening in her memories Logan, and the parts of her brain that deal in information and her personality. Wherever she is in there, she's alive and well, she's just not ready to be with people," Hank said.

"Could something be keeping her captive?" Logan asked, taking a sip of his own coffee.

"It's possible, but it's more likely that she's too weak to connect with her own body right now after what happened and she's resting somewhere inside of herself," Hank replied. "This never should have been allowed to go on for as long as it did."

"This wasn't anybodies fault Hank, it could've happened to any one of us," Logan said, patting Hank on the shoulder.

"Yes, but it happened to one of the students Logan. It saddens me to see someone so young, so strong brought down by her own mutation," Hank sighed, gazing at the young woman who laid in a sea of white sheets and blankets, connected to a plethora of machines.

The next day, Scott and Logan told Jesse and Sparrow about what had happened the previous night. They were furious that they couldn't even go and see their friend, and showed their anger by stalking off.

Jean made a difficult phone call to the professor on Muir Island telling him about what had happened, and Charles agreed to come home early from his vacation with Moira. It was a sober event, and Jean ran herself ragged trying to reach Dinah. But whenever she entered her mind, she could find no landmarks that she recognized, it was merely a soft empty grey space that seemed to hold something menacing if she pushed at all.

When Professor Xavier returned, he went down to see his young student, and watched the girl lying in the bed with a pang of guilt. He too faced the same obstacles that Jean had faced, and soon enough he sat in the computer lab with Hank, watching her brain functions on a computer monitor.

Dinah's coma put a damper on the holidays, and when the other students returned after the New Year, they too felt the same depression that had settled over the house.

Professor Xavier spent several hours by her bedside, gently, systematically trying to reach Dinah in her mindscape. But all of the markers Jean had described were no longer there, and as the days turned into weeks, he became more and more discouraged.

Glenn spent days by her side, refusing to eat, to sleep, he just sat there talking to Dinah about what was going on in the house, refusing to give up hope.

A few weeks after the holidays, the full team came back to the mansion after their various vacations and time away and were shocked and worried about what had happened. But then strange occurrences started to happen around the mansion.

Logan's cigars starting to light themselves, the television would randomly turn on and flip through channels, settling on Dinah's favorite programs. Hank reported that her brain activity was spiking, but that he didn't know what, exactly, that meant. Radios would turn on to classic rock and occasionally statues would move themselves. On one occasion Glenn and Warren witnessed an entire rooms worth of furniture rearrange themselves. Cerebro lit up like a Christmas tree, and the cars in the garage would randomly start on their own.

Finally, after Emma woke up one morning to find all but her most conservative clothing missing, was a meeting called. The students and teachers piled into the living room, even Glenn stood next to Logan looking upset and angry at being pulled away from Dinah.

"Dinah's alive in this house!" Saya blurted out before anyone had a chance to say anything. "I can feel her."

"Yes, we know Dinah's in the house, she's in the basement," Hank commented dryly.

"Yeah, her body's in the basement, but Dinah isn't in her body," Saya insisted. "She's in the house, she's trying to make herself known. Like maybe she's trying to get back to her body but doesn't know how."

"I've been trying to get in touch with Dinah for weeks now Sayaka, I'm sure if she wanted to get back she could," Professor Xavier said gently.

"Mrs. Grey-Summers says that all of Dinah's mental landmarks are missing, maybe there's something we're missing," Glenn pointed out.

"There's been an increase of brain activity in the last week and a half, since the occurrences started," Hank conceded. "Perhaps it's something we should consider."

"I think perhaps we should wait for now, these things take time," Charles suggested.

"I can believe you! I can't believe any of you! You just walk away from a fight when it really matters! You put your lives on the line for total strangers, but when it comes to one of your own you just turn your backs!" Glenn yelled and stormed out of the room.

"Glenn!" Scott called, but Logan stopped him.

"Let the kid go," Logan said. "He needs time to process this. All of us do."


	21. XKids: Dinah and Remy find a ladder

Dinah walked through the silent landscape of herself. She was cold and frightened. A brittle wind blew through the landscape and she shivered in fear.

"Hello?" She called out. "Is anybody here?"

No one answered.

It was so tempting to turn around and return to the pavilion with it's soft warm blankets and pillows, to sleep out her days, but she knew it was time to go back. For days Glenn had been calling to her through the mist. He needed her, Dinah knew this in her bones. Glenn needed her the way he needed water. They had an En between them; a karmic bond that could no more be denied than it could be broken.

As Dinah walked through the mist she scanned the horizon, desperately looking for something to help her. Eventually she came to a small shed, about the size of an outhouse, with a ladder going up through the roof and into the sky. When she saw it she began running towards it, dropping the blanket she had wrapped around her, her bare feet slammed against the cracked and broken earth. When she reached the shed she wrenched open the door and stared at the ladder in triumph. Rolling up the sleeves of her tunic style shirt she placed her hands on the rungs and stared up into the clouds, the ladder seemed to go on and on.

"If this is how I'm going to get back, then this what I'm going to have to do," Dinah muttered to herself as she began climbing.

_Meanwhile. . ._

Remy sat up in the boys dorm common room sipping a beer and playing with a deck of cards. He watched Glenn sleeping on the sofa, the rise and fall of his chest as the boy slept, his wings spilling over onto the floor in a pool of liquid darkness. Remy shuffled the cards absentmindedly, intent on his watch of the boys while Ororo sat up in the girls' dorm, keeping an eye on Saya and Sparrow.

Something didn't feel right to Remy, after prowling around the boys dorm he quietly let himself out into the hall and looked up and down the darkened corridor. Glancing uneasily over his shoulder, he gently shut the door behind him and started walking down the hall. It was a weird prickling sensation between his shoulder blades, as though someone were watching him. When he reached the top of the stairs that lead up to the boys dorm he paused in a moment of quiet wonder as the antique music box that sat on the end table by the stairs softly played Chopin in perfect tune. The music box had been broken and silent for years.

Walking on past the eery music box he descended the stairs until he stood on the main staircase gazing out the window onto the front lawn. A simple silver ladder stuck up out of the ground. Narrowing his distinctive eyes, Remy walked down the last few steps and pulled open the door. The chill January air nipped at his bare arms but he ignored it, closing the door behind him he began to walk towards the ladder. As he approached it he realized that it was glowing gently in the moonlight, and beautiful patterns and whorls covered the delicate ladder. It came straight up out of the grass and went up into the air about 20 feet.

Despite it's alluring qualities, instinct told him not to touch it, that something dear would be lost if he did.

The next morning Remy came down the stairs and paused. The ladder was no longer on the front lawn. There was no sign that it had ever been there when he went out to investigate. Wondering if he had dreamed it, he shrugged his shoulders and went inside to find something to eat.

He watched as a table walked down the hallway towards him and stopped directly in front of him. The flowers in the crystal vase began to rearrange themselves in a traditional ikebana arrangement. Walking around the table he walked into the kitchen as Hank was coming up from the lab.

"Have you been working all night?" Remy asked in disbelief as Hank collapsed at the table.

"I'm worried about Dinah, and I'm simply overrun with lab work. I'm exhausted," Hank groaned as Remy placed a cup of coffee in front of his teammate.

"Let me watch Dinah for a few hours, you go on and get some sleep. I'll come wake you up if anything happens," Remy offered genially.

"Are you sure Remy? I would hate to inconvenience you," Hank began, but stopped when Remy put his hand up. "Very well, just make sure that Glenn doesn't spent more than an hour with her. It's hard enough trying to get a response from her without having to deal with his grief."

"I understand," Remy said as Hank picked up his coffee and left the kitchen.

Remy made his way down into the sub basement and into the room where Dinah laid prone in the bed. There was a chart that logged the times when Dinah needed to be turned, to avoid bed sores, and machines beeped softly as they monitored her condition.

"Ooh petite," he murmured, smoothing her hair out of her face. "I'm sorry I never spent much time with you when you were awake. Everyone is so worried about you. Are you in there?"

_On Dinah's mindscape. . ._

Dinah climbed. She didn't dare look down, simply kept climbing until she was exhausted. Clinging to the rungs she stared up into the fog that loomed closer and closer. It was a thick miasma that lingered about twenty feet above her head. She had a hunch that if she could just make it to the fog she would be safe. Closing her eyes tight she struggled to find a last little kernel of strength inside of herself, letting out a sigh she wasn't aware she had been holding, Dinah began to climb towards the cloud.


	22. Xkids: Dinah's Climb

Scott hadn't been sleeping well. He laid awake in bed staring at the ceiling and listening to Jean's steady breathing. He had come so close to losing her on so many occasions that he treasured each time her chest rose and fell. Suppressing a sigh, he rolled out of bed and pulled on his pants.

Climbing to his feet, he left their bedroom and padded down the hall to the stairs. After rubbing his eyes, he settled his shades on the bridge of his nose and began to ascend the stairs when he walked into Remy.

"What's going on? It's 2 in the morning?" Scott asked his teammate.

"You see that homme?" Remy asked, pointing to the silver ladder that glowed softly in the chilly winter air beyond the leaded glass pains.

"Wha-what is that?" Scott asked.

"Dunno, it appeared the night after Glenn got back from visiting his family. I think it has something to do with him and Dinah," Remy replied.

"Like what?" Scott asked. "What is with those two? We have other students here."

"Like should recognize like Scott. Those two have a bond like you and Jean," Remy said with a knowing smirk.

Scott's head flew around to stare at his teammate in shock.

"They have a bond, just like you two, you should be more understanding," Remy said, turning to go upstairs to bed.

Sighing, Scott continued down the stairs and into the kitchen where he heated himself up a piece of casserole in the microwave before sitting down at the table to eat it.

_Elsewhere. . ._

Carlos was feeling restless. After several failed attempts to fall asleep he rolled over and put his light brown feet on the floor. Padding across the room to grab a shirt off of his desk chair, he pulled the t-shirt off over his head and walked down the hall to Jesse's room. Without knocking, he opened the door and slipped inside. Aside from the subtle glow that Jesse cast on the walls around him the room was dark.

Carlos approached his Jesse's bed and crouched down to the younger student and nudged him awake.

"Wha-what's wrong?" Jesse asked through his sleep fogged brain.

"I can't sleep and Glenn doesn't even bother trying to hide it. Come on, let's go get him and make a run to the store. We'll get some ice cream or something," Carlos murmured.

"Are any places open this late?" Jesse asked as he climbed out of bed.

"I dunno, guess we'll find out," Carlos said. "Get dressed and let's get Glenn."

When the two boys crouched down next to their comrade Carlos stuck a feather under Glenn's nose. The boy snorted and pawed at his face before turning over. Carlos did it again, and again until Glenn roared awake, knocking over his friends as his wings spread.

"What the hell are you two doing?" He demanded, staring down at them.

"We're going on an ice cream run, get your pants," Carlos said.

"But-" Glenn started.

"No buts, you really do need to get out of the house," Jesse said. "And that's a big statement coming from me."

"I-fine," Glenn grumbled, rolling out of bed he pulled on his pants and a t-shirt before pulling on a hood and some shoes.

The three boys quietly crept downstairs and headed for the kitchen door. Which was their first mistake as they ran headlong into Scott sitting at the table eating a late night snack.

"What are you boys doing out of your dorm? It's way past curfew," Scott admonished.

"Please Mr. Summers, we're were just going to go to the store and get some ice cream, we're desperate to get out of the house and Glenn is going to have a nervous breakdown if he stays here any longer," Jesse begged.

Scott eyed the three boys for a minute, mulling over their argument. "Alright, but I'm coming with you, lemme get my keys."

Fifteen minutes later found them in the 24 hour supermarket in the next town over standing in front of the ice cream display in their pajamas.

"I'm not sure if I want Rocky Road or Mint Chocolate Chip," Glenn mused.

"I never knew there were so many choices," Jesse muttered to himself in awe.

_Meanwhile. . ._

Dinah was exhausted. She laid several feet on a patch of moss several feet away from the top of the ladder. She had napped there for several hours, gathering her strength to begin the next leg of the journey, a winding path that ran up what looked like a mountain. A stream ran down from it and collected in a small pool near where she lay.

After Dinah drank her fill, she turned her attention to the mountain path and began to climb. Here she took her time, the higher she climbed, the stranger she felt, as through parts of her were changing, shifting inside of her. Every so often there was a natural seat set into the rocks where Dinah would rest, wondering who had left this for her.

About a quarter of the way up Dinah paused, gazing at the gold bands that began to cross and wrap around her body.

"I-what?"

Dinah sat down hard on the ground and stared at herself until a shadow cast itself over her.

"Tut'Kuman marked you when he was obliterated," said a deep, measured voice.

Dinah lifted her head to stare up into the face of the Minotaur. She began backing up and would have fallen off the face off the mountain had the Minotaur not caught her.

"Dinah, relax, I am the Minotaur, I have been keeping you safe from Tut'Kuman all your life, but he broke free. The Phoenix defeated him and you were caught in the blast. Those gold bands are from the remains of Tut'Kuman Dinah," the Minotaur said gently. "Your full potential has been awoken Dinah. Only time will tell what that means. . . Are you ready to rejoin your body?"

"My-I-what?" Dinah asked as they settled onto a stone bench.

"The attack happened about a month ago by human standards Dinah," the Minotaur said gently.

"I've been in a coma for a month? But Glenn, he needs me," Dinah gasped.

"He's been by your side every day since he found out. He loves you Dinah, the two of you share a bond that is not easily broken. Dinah. . . you're abilities. You were born with a caul on your face, and when you wake up you will no longer just be able to tell when a message is about to be delivered. Terrible knowledge will come you to, and it is up to you to choose what will become of that knowledge," the Minotaur said gently.

Dinah soaked up the knowledge that he had gifted her with in silence.

"When you are ready, continue up the path, your Keeper's will meet you and take you the rest of the way," the Minotaur said gently before getting up and leaving Dinah with her thoughts.

Dinah sat by the waterfall gazing at her hands for a long time considering the weight of the knowledge she had been given. She felt tiny and diminutive as she sat there weighing her options. Dinah knew that she could stay here forever in this place, or she could go home and prove to herself that she had just as much right to walk among people as everyone else did. After a long moment, Dinah rose with as much dignity as she could muster and pressed on up the mountain.

Eventually she came to a fork in the road where two twin children stood. Dinah gasped in recognition of her little brother and sister.

"You have a choice to make Dinah," Joey said. "You can stay here forever."

"Or you can go home," Mandy finished.

Dinah stood silent for a long moment. "I want to go home."

"Then follow us," Mandy replied.

The two children turned and took off at a run, forcing Dinah to hurry after them. She ran up the path, dodging tree branches and trying not to trip over stones until they reached another ladder.

"This is the final part of your journey Dinah. Climb the ladder and all will be restored," Joey said gently.

"We'll be waiting for you," Mandy called as the children faded away.

Dinah walked up to the ladder and rested her head against the cool metal rungs. Letting out a breath she was not aware of holding, she began to climb towards the starry sky and rejoin herself.

_In the med lab. . ._

Hank startled awake as Dinah's body vanished in a shimmer of stars. Rushing into the room where she had been resting for the last month, he tore the blankets apart before turning to run for help.

_Coming back from the supermarket. . ._

The boys crowded the front seat to look out the windshield at at the bright light that shot straight up from the sky.

"Do you think?" Jesse asked.

"THE LADDER!" They all exclaimed and Scott hit the gas and began tearing through Salem Center.

He all but drove down the gate as they reached the house. Skidding to a halt they piled out of the car and came to a stop. Everyone in the mansion stood in a loose circle around the brightly glowing ladder. A shimmering pool of light that rippled with it's own potential sat on the ground at the base of the ladder.

They watched in awe as the crown of Dinah's head appeared. Her thick dark brown hair shown glossily in the pale glow. Stepping off the ladder and onto the lawn everyone stared at her for a moment in shock.

Dinah slowly turned in a circle until she faced Glenn. She paused a moment, afraid of what he would do in response to new her appearance, but he didn't seem to notice. Glenn ran forward and grabbed Dinah tightly to his chest before lowering her in a deep dip and kissing her passionately on the lips. When he released her Glenn stared down into her eyes.

"I love you Dinah. Take everything that I am, take all of me, just don't ever leave me again," Glenn said, tears pouring down his cheeks.

Touched by his honestly, Dinah reached out and cupped his cheek with her palm. She smiled at him, a gesture that came from her soul. "I won't leave you Glenn, I promise," she murmured. "I love you Glenn. . . I'm so tired. Can I go to bed now?"

"Of course you can baby," he murmured to her, and then he picked Dinah up and carried her into the house.


End file.
